Choo Mi-ae: "Yoon Seok-yeol Uses Special Activity Funds Like Petty Cash... Relic of a Bygone Era" (Comprehensive)

"Cho Kuk: It's Absurd to Call It Power-Type Corruption"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 5th, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae stated, "Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol uses special activity funds like petty cash."

Minister Choo made this remark during the full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, responding to inquiries from Democratic Party lawmaker So Byung-chul and others regarding Prosecutor General Yoon's use of special activity funds.

Minister Choo said, "I do not know the specifics of how the funds were used because there has been no report to the Ministry of Justice," adding, "Currently, there is a so-called 'loophole (institutional gap).' Such practices remain only in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office like an artifact from an old era."

She also stated, "There has been no recent disbursement of special activity funds to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, where cases are concentrated, so I have heard that the investigation teams are facing difficulties." She added, "It must be different from when (Yoon) was the head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office. It is a high-intensity office, but I hear that the lack of special activity funds is causing difficulties in investigations."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

When People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Sang-beom countered, "According to my confirmation, all the special activity funds have been disbursed," Minister Choo took a step back, saying, "I hear that from frontline prosecutors' grievances, but I have no way to verify it myself."

Regarding Democratic Party lawmakers' inquiries that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's special activity fund budget could be used as political funds for Prosecutor General Yoon, who is rumored to enter politics, Minister Choo said, "Such criticism can be made."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the investigation of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, Minister Choo said, "It is absurd to call it a power-type corruption," and regarding the allegations of interference in the Ulsan mayoral election, she stated, "I cannot agree that a few campaign promises swayed the election."

Minister Choo also criticized the search and seizure related to the alleged manipulation of the evaluation of Wolseong Unit 1, saying, "Even if there was a complaint from the opposition party, it should be dismissed."

Regarding the indictment of Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jung Jin-woong, who engaged in a physical altercation during the search and seizure of Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, Minister Choo said, "There were internal disagreements within the investigation team about the charge of official violence," adding, "The contents of the indictment are contradictory." During this, Minister Choo even read part of the indictment, which stated that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jung approached the suspect saying, "You should not do this."

Referring to investigations of former President Lee Myung-bak and former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui, Minister Choo said, "At that time, the prosecution was a 'myeonchal' that colluded with the living power to grant immunity," emphasizing, "If the prosecution does not apologize on its own, I will make them apologize."

Minister Choo also rebutted Prosecutor General Yoon's claim that the origin of the prosecution system lies in the French Revolution, saying, "If you ask where the last institution that does not undergo democratic change in the Republic of Korea's ancien r?gime (old regime) is, the majority of the people would say the prosecution." She added, "It is quite regrettable to have borrowed the spirit of the French Revolution while forgetting it."

When People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Han-hong recalled Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun's remark from the previous day that "high-ranking officials are required to have restraint and a reflective attitude" and urged her to reflect on it, Minister Choo replied, "Yes, but the subject is missing."

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