"Choo Mi-ae's 'Prosecutor-Media Collusion' Investigation Directive Violates Prosecutors' Office Act"... Civic Group Files Abuse of Authority Charges

"Ordered Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol to Perform Duties Not Required"
"Transfer of Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon Also Illegal"
"If Neglected, Difficult to Maintain Prosecution's Political Neutrality and Autonomy"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is arriving at the Government Complex Gwacheon on the 10th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae has been accused again by a civic group.

This time, the accusation is that Minister Chu’s directive in the ‘prosecutor-media collusion’ investigation and personnel actions against Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon constitute abuse of authority.

The civic group Economic Democracy 21 announced on the 11th that it filed a complaint against Minister Chu for abuse of authority with the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Kwan-jung).

Currently, the Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office is conducting an investigation into allegations of preferential leave during the military service of Minister Chu’s son, Seo (27).

The group stated, “Minister Chu violated the Prosecutors’ Office Act by effectively directing and supervising prosecutors other than the Prosecutor General in relation to the prosecutor-media collusion investigation,” and added, “Minister Chu demanded that the Prosecutor General ensure that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ investigation team would not be subject to supervision or direction from higher authorities such as the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, thereby compelling the Prosecutor General to perform duties beyond his obligations.”

The ‘directive letter’ Minister Chu sent to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol on July 2 is formally a directive only to the Prosecutor General, but in substance, it was equivalent to directing the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ investigation team, thus violating Article 8 of the Prosecutors’ Office Act, which stipulates that only the Prosecutor General may supervise and direct specific cases.

The group also claimed that Minister Chu’s transfer of Prosecutor Han, a party involved in the prosecutor-media collusion allegations, to a research position at the Judicial Research and Training Institute was a violation of the Prosecutors’ Office Act.

They said, “Although the Prosecutors’ Office Act requires that the President be recommended for a prosecutor’s position change ‘after hearing the opinion of the Prosecutor General,’ Minister Chu evaded answering whether she actually sought Prosecutor General Yoon’s opinion regarding Prosecutor Han’s transfer,” and added, “It can only be concluded that the opinion was not sought.”

The group urged a thorough investigation by the prosecution, stating, “If this case is left unattended, the Prosecutor General will effectively remain a figurehead, and it will become increasingly difficult to maintain the political neutrality and autonomy of the prosecution.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.