Choo-Yoon Conflict Spreads Over Special Activity Funds... Joo Ho-young Calls Inspection "Petty Act"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, reporter Lee Jieun] As the conflict between Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol has spread to the issue of special activity funds-often referred to as the “discretionary funds” of agency heads-the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee will visit the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the Ministry of Justice today to inspect the use of these funds. The opposition criticized Minister Choo’s inspection of special activity funds, calling it a “petty act.”

On the afternoon of November 9, at 2 p.m., members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee will visit the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to conduct an on-site inspection of the execution of special activity funds by both the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the Ministry of Justice. After reviewing the payment and execution documents for the special funds, the committee members plan to move on to inspect the use of special activity funds by the Board of Audit and Inspection as well.

The committee’s decision to inspect the special activity funds came after Minister Choo, during a full committee meeting on November 5, responded to a question from a ruling party lawmaker by stating, “Prosecutor General Yoon uses the special activity funds like his own discretionary money,” and pointed out, “There is currently a loophole in the system.” In response, committee members from the People Power Party insisted that the Ministry of Justice’s special activity funds should also be scrutinized, leading to the decision to examine both the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the Ministry of Justice.

Separately, Minister Choo instructed the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to investigate the payment and allocation of special activity funds to Prosecutor General Yoon. The opposition parties strongly criticized this move. Committee members from the People Power Party issued a statement, arguing that “the inspection order is illegal” and insisting that “the details of Minister Choo’s special activity funds must also be fully disclosed.”

The committee members pointed out that, under the Prosecutors’ Office Act, the Prosecutor General is not included among those subject to inspection by the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. They criticized, “Despite these regulations, Minister Choo’s order for the Inspection Department, rather than the Ministry’s own inspection body, to investigate Prosecutor General Yoon is a clear abuse of authority and an act of exceeding her official powers.” They further emphasized, “The ruling party must also cooperate to ensure a transparent and fair investigation into the special activity funds allocated to the Minister of Justice, which amount to between 1 billion and 2 billion won annually.”

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, also criticized Minister Choo’s inspection order, stating, “This is clearly political retaliation against Prosecutor General Yoon and an attempt to create a pretext for his removal.” He added, “If this is truly an expression of a genuine intention to correct the use of undocumented funds by the Ministry of Justice, the minister should first disclose her own special activity funds.” Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at an emergency committee meeting in the National Assembly, “This is a self-defeating blunder by Minister Choo.” He continued, “It is problematic that she has ordered inspections four times recently, but now instructing an inspection of the special activity funds just to find fault is truly a petty act.”

Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the Liberty Korea Party and a former prosecutor, commented on Facebook, “It is ironic that the ‘Yoon Seok-yeol prosecution,’ which once treated institutional practices as embezzlement, is now itself being audited for special activity funds.” He added, “If President Moon does not resolve the conflict between the minister and the prosecutor general in some way, it will amount to dereliction of duty on the part of the president,” thereby criticizing both Minister Choo and Prosecutor General Yoon.

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