'Choo-Yoon Clash' The Background of President Moon's Silence: 'Legal Mind'

40-Year Legal Career, More Familiar with Legal Thinking than Political Resolution... Will President Moon Deliver a Message? June 30 Cheong Press Briefing as a Turning Point

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] As President Moon Jae-in's 'silence' continues regarding the decision to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol from his duties, the opposition's attacks are intensifying day by day. Consequently, attention is focused on when President Moon will express his stance on this matter. Considering various situations at the Blue House, it seems highly likely that President Moon's sealed silence will be lifted at the Blue House senior secretaries and aides meeting next Monday.

The fact that President Moon is a legal professional provides a clue to understanding the background of his silence amid the clash between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon. After passing the 22nd Judicial Examination in 1980, President Moon spent 40 years as a legal practitioner.

On the other hand, his political career is less than 10 years, having entered politics in 2011. When approaching an issue and seeking solutions, he may be more accustomed to a so-called 'legal mind' rather than a political mindset. The unprecedented constitutional incident where the Minister of Justice suspended the Prosecutor General from his duties is not unrelated to President Moon's silence, which is influenced by his legal mindset.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Woo Sang-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on tbs Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' on the 26th and explained, "The president is a legal professional. He respects the person he appointed as long as they are acting within their scope of duties until the truth is revealed."

This is an unfamiliar scene for those accustomed to Yeouido politics. For example, during the presidencies of Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, who were called 'political masters,' discord between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General would have been unimaginable. This is because the basic mechanism for resolving problems was to politically settle conflicts among high-ranking officials 'upstairs' before they were exposed to the public.

However, if prioritizing resolution through legal systems and procedures, there is inevitably less room for political solutions to intervene. The Blue House's reticence is also related to President Moon's working style. It is said that President Moon's perception, which respects the Prosecutor General's term but also respects the legal authority of the Minister of Justice and the court's judgment, is influencing this.

A senior Blue House official said, "If the president intended to issue a message, wouldn't he have done so on the day of Minister Choo's announcement?" and added, "If the president says a word, it could be perceived as a guideline." This reflects the view that the president's message should not influence a situation that could move into the court's jurisdiction.

Summarizing the Blue House atmosphere, the possibility of President Moon delivering a message about this incident through a press conference is low. President Moon often uses social networking services (SNS) to communicate messages, but due to the nature of this issue, releasing a message via SNS is also difficult. Delivering a message through the Blue House spokesperson is a possible scenario, but it remains uncertain whether the president will express his position.

The Blue House senior secretaries and aides meeting expected on the 30th is a turning point in this controversy. Although the meeting chaired by President Moon was not held this Monday due to consecutive summit schedules, it is likely to be held next week. If no special message from President Moon emerges then, regardless of public criticism or opposition party backlash, the 'time of silence' is expected to last longer than anticipated.

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