[Summary] "The Prosecutor's Master is the People," "Real Prosecution Reform is Investigating the Living Power" Yoon Seok-yeol's Words, Words, Words

October 22 Supreme Prosecutors' Office Audit Begins with 'Deliberate Remarks'
Yoon: "The Prosecutor General Is Not a Minister's Subordinate," "Fair Investigation Without Overlooking Power Corruption"
Ruling Party Intensifies Criticism: "'Yoon Seok-yeol's Prosecution' Is Going Wrong"

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (center) is moving within the Jincheon Legal Research and Training Institute on the afternoon of the 9th to give a lecture to newly appointed deputy prosecutors. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] As the prosecution clashes with the ruling party over investigations related to allegations of economic evaluation manipulation at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, attention is focused on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's statements. Prosecutor General Yoon has drawn attention by making a series of 'deliberate remarks' during the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's National Assembly inspection and external schedules.

Yoon's 'deliberate remarks' began at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office inspection by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held on the 22nd of last month. On that day, Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, raised his voice saying, "Unfortunately, I have come to doubt the sense of justice and compassion that Prosecutor General Yoon possesses." In response, Yoon said, "Isn't that selective suspicion?" and added, "You didn't feel that way about me in the past, did you?"

Regarding the high-level personnel appointments in the prosecution following the appointment of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae in January, Yoon expressed strong dissatisfaction, saying, "There was no precedent, and there was no substantial consultation between the minister and the prosecutor general," and "The personnel plan was already fully prepared. There is no way to make appointments like that."

On the same day, Yoon also argued that Minister Choo's twice exercise of investigative directive authority was inappropriate, stating, "The Prosecutor General is not a subordinate of the Minister of Justice." He explained, "The Minister of Justice is a politician and a political appointee. If the Prosecutor General were a subordinate of the minister, investigation and prosecution would be subject to political control, and the political independence of the prosecution would become a distant matter."

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is responding to a lawmaker's question during the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office held on the 22nd of last month at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

Yoon's deliberate remarks continued in his external activities. On the 3rd, Yoon visited the Legal Research and Training Institute in Jincheon, Chungbuk, and delivered a lecture to about 30 newly appointed chief prosecutors, asserting that "the real prosecution reform that the people want is to investigate the living power."

On that day, Yoon emphasized, "The prosecution system began with the republican prosecution after the French Revolution," and added, "Since the prosecution was born from the republican spirit that the people are the owners of the country, it must become the people's prosecution. The real prosecution reform that the people want is a prosecution that investigates corruption of the living power fairly without hesitation and protects the socially vulnerable."

On the 9th, Yoon again visited the Legal Research and Training Institute in Jincheon to give a leadership lecture to newly appointed deputy prosecutors, emphasizing that "the owner of the prosecution is the people."

On that day, Yoon said, "The people's prosecution means always keeping in mind that the people are the owners of the prosecution," and added, "A fair prosecution and the people's prosecution are two sides of the same coin."

Although there were no strong 'deliberate remarks' as before, it is interpreted that he reiterated the message from the lecture on the 3rd that the prosecution should be a law enforcement agency for the people, not for those in power.

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 9th. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, the ruling party has continuously criticized the prosecution and Prosecutor General Yoon, accusing them of conducting 'political investigations.' Earlier, when the prosecution conducted a search and seizure of energy public enterprises under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) in connection with the Wolseong Unit 1 allegations, the Democratic Party of Korea pointed out on the 6th that the prosecution was conducting a 'political investigation.'

On that day, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the party's Supreme Council meeting, "It is a political investigation and an abuse of prosecutorial power," and criticized, "The Board of Audit and Inspection did not even request an investigation, but the prosecution responded massively to the opposition party's complaint."

Kim Jong-min, a Supreme Council member of the same party, said, "Prosecutors of the Republic of Korea, please do not condone the political acts and unconstitutional political interference of some political prosecutors," and criticized, "'Yoon Seok-yeol's prosecution' is going the wrong way."

On the 9th, the ruling party increased pressure on Prosecutor General Yoon. Yang Hyang-ja, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, wrote on her Facebook, "The essence of the nuclear power investigation is the political intervention of Yoon Seok-yeol's prosecution," and claimed, "I feel not only anger but also fear. It is chilling to see the elected power being trampled by the prosecution."

Kang Byung-won, a Democratic Party lawmaker, appeared on a radio broadcast that day and urged Yoon to voluntarily resign, saying, "If the Prosecutor General has come to the political forefront to this extent, he should decide his own resignation."

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