Kim Tae-nyeon on Prosecutors' Backlash Against Choo Hyanghan: "Resistance Becomes Overt as Prosecution Reform Passes the Critical Point"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Amid escalating conflicts between Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae and frontline prosecutors, Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized on the 2nd, saying, "As prosecutorial reform passes the final hurdle, resistance from some 'privileged prosecutors' is becoming overt."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Floor Leader Kim said, "There is no reason for prosecutors to resist when the Minister of Justice exercises the command authority guaranteed by law."

He added, "In the past conservative administrations, prosecutors sometimes regarded the command of the Minister of Justice, who was a senior prosecutor, as a long-standing custom and complied," and sharply criticized, "This privileged group of prosecutors is now resisting the lawful command of a non-prosecutor minister as illegal." He pointed out, "This is a wrongful reform resistance by some privileged prosecutors who still cannot abandon their sense of privilege."

Floor Leader Kim said, "This comment incident reminds me of conversations with prosecutors during the administration of the late President Roh Moo-hyun," and stated, "During the participatory government era, political prosecutors systematically resisted prosecutorial reforms aimed at institutionally checking the excessive abuse of prosecutorial power."

He continued, "Privileged prosecutors systematically resisted reform governments in the past and acted as power's henchmen during conservative administrations to block prosecutorial reform," emphasizing, "However, the Democratic Party and the Moon Jae-in administration will definitely complete prosecutorial reform this time."

Floor Leader Kim added, "Prosecutorial reform aims to restore the privileged and abnormal prosecution system to normal," and said, "Prosecution cannot be a sanctuary under democratic control. Some privileged prosecutors who attempt to privatize prosecutorial power should reflect and comply with prosecutorial reform."

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