Choo Mi-ae States "Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol Damaged the Political Neutrality of the Prosecution"... Position on National Petition Expressed

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] On the 3rd, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae directly criticized Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "The words and actions of the Prosecutor General are undermining the political neutrality of the prosecution and causing a loss of public trust."

Amid ongoing backlash comments from prosecutors triggered by his Facebook post on the prosecution's internal communication network, and on the other hand, increasing support for a public petition demanding the resignation of the prosecutors who commented, Minister Choo publicly expressed her position for the first time.

On this day, Minister Choo revealed her stance on the public petition titled "Accept the resignations of the prosecutors who came out," through a Ministry of Justice announcement, openly expressing her discomfort with Prosecutor General Yoon's actions. She also expressed her determination to complete the ongoing prosecution reform.

First, she stated, "We take seriously the criticisms and concerns of the public expressed in the petition, and we are also listening to the diverse opinions of the prosecutors."

Minister Choo emphasized, "As a power institution, the political neutrality of the prosecution is demanded more strictly than any other institution. Especially, the current situation where the words and actions of the Prosecutor General, who is at the top, are rather undermining the political neutrality of the prosecution and causing a loss of public trust, is a very serious issue."

The "words and actions" of the Prosecutor General that Minister Choo pointed out refer to his response during the recent National Assembly inspection of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, when an opposition lawmaker asked if he planned to enter politics after retirement. He replied, "I will consider ways to serve the people," despite having much time left in his term. This was seen as a critique of the situation where his approval ratings in presidential candidate polls continued to rise, placing him at the center of politics.

Also, the "actions" of the Prosecutor General mentioned by Minister Choo seem to refer to the period when internal opposition from prosecutors against Minister Choo was surfacing, and Prosecutor General Yoon resumed visits to frontline prosecution offices for encouragement and continued lectures to newly appointed deputy and chief prosecutors, seemingly strengthening internal unity within the prosecution.

Minister Choo said, "Nevertheless, I am well aware that the majority of frontline prosecutors are quietly devoted to their duties and making their best efforts, and as the Minister of Justice, I deeply feel the responsibility to ensure the political neutrality of the prosecution."

She continued, "The prosecution should transform from an investigative agency focused on direct investigations into a true human rights advocacy institution, communicating with prosecutors so that all prosecutors can work with pride as legal professionals for the people, and I will complete the prosecution reform. I also expect prosecutors to join the path of reform together," she emphasized.

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