"Choo Mi-ae's Prosecutor Personnel Moves Are Lineup"…Hanbyun Files National Audit Request

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] A conservative-leaning lawyers' group has filed a request for an audit with the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding the mid-level prosecutor personnel reshuffle carried out last month.

On the 8th, the conservative-leaning lawyers' group 'Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea' (Hanbyeon) criticized the mid-level prosecutor personnel reshuffle announced last month as an 'executive massacre' by Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and filed a national audit request.

In a press release on the same day, Hanbyeon claimed, "Minister Choo's recent prosecutor personnel reshuffle is the final act of power factionalism, making it nearly impossible for prosecutors, as representatives of public interest, to investigate the ruling power."

A total of 502 people participated as petitioners in the audit request. According to the Act on the Prevention of Corruption and the Establishment and Management of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, if more than 300 citizens sign a petition, they can request a national audit on the handling of public institution affairs.

Hanbyeon stated, "Minister Choo promoted the prosecutor who handled her son's military leave absence case to deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office," adding, "The prosecutor intentionally omitted statements despite receiving them and is suspected of fabricating testimony records without reporting to the deputy chief prosecutor and chief prosecutor." They further added, "While Minister Choo promoted Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-ung, who committed abuse of authority by attempting to seize Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon's mobile phone, to deputy chief prosecutor at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, she demoted Jeong Jin-gi, head of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department who investigated Jeong, to a prosecutor at the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, leading to his resignation."

They also emphasized, "All prosecutors investigating corruption cases involving former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk's family, former Busan Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo's inspection cover-up, Lime Asset Management fund case, and other current administration scandals were either demoted or replaced, while those who conformed to the regime were promoted or advanced."

Hanbyeon also mentioned the disregard of the 'procedure for hearing the Prosecutor General's opinion,' which was controversial during the personnel process. They pointed out, "Even though the President and Minister of Justice have personnel authority over prosecutors, ignoring the 'hearing of the Prosecutor General's opinion' procedure stipulated in the Prosecutors' Office Act to cover up regime corruption and halt investigations constitutes obstruction of investigation by abuse of authority and is a corrupt act that promotes the interests of third parties such as the Minister of Justice or the President."

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