Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee Unanimously Resolves "Unjustified Disciplinary Request, Job Suspension, and Investigation Referral for Prosecutor General Yoon"

On the morning of the 1st, one day before the disciplinary review of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and the day of the Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee's temporary meeting, Lee Wan-gyu, the legal representative of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, is entering the Ministry of Justice building at the Government Complex Gwacheon and responding to questions from the press.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Inspection Committee) resolved on the 1st that the disciplinary request, suspension of duty, and investigation request against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol were all inappropriate. It is reported that all attending inspection committee members agreed with this opinion, resulting in a unanimous resolution.

Although the Inspection Committee's resolutions or recommendations are not binding, they are expected to pose a significant burden on Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and the disciplinary committee members attending the prosecutor disciplinary committee meeting on the 2nd when deciding on severe disciplinary actions such as dismissal or removal against Prosecutor General Yoon.

The Inspection Committee convened at 10 a.m. at the Ministry of Justice Gwacheon Office and held a closed meeting for about 3 hours and 15 minutes before making this resolution. The inspection committee members reportedly reached this conclusion citing "serious procedural flaws such as not notifying Prosecutor General Yoon of the reasons for the disciplinary request and not providing an opportunity to explain."

It is known that 7 out of the total 11 members, including Chairman Kang Dong-beom, attended the meeting that day. From the Ministry of Justice, Inspector Ryu Hyuk and Inspection Officer Park Eun-jung attended, and from Prosecutor General Yoon's side, two special representatives including lawyer Lee Wan-gyu attended.

The inspection committee members listened to Officer Park's report on the progress of the inspection investigation against Prosecutor General Yoon and the reasons for the disciplinary decision. Afterwards, Prosecutor General Yoon's side explained for about 40 minutes the illegality and unfairness of the disciplinary request and suspension of duty.

After hearing explanations from both the Ministry of Justice and Prosecutor General Yoon's side, the inspection committee members concluded after internal discussions that "the disciplinary request, suspension of duty, and investigation request against Prosecutor General Yoon are inappropriate."

During the meeting, the inspection committee reportedly engaged in heated debates over so-called 'Inspection Committee Passing,' changes to the inspection committee advisory regulations, and allegations of procedural violations during the inspection process against Prosecutor General Yoon.

As a result, although it was initially expected that the meeting would conclude in the morning, it ended about 1 hour and 30 minutes later than the scheduled time.

The Inspection Committee plans to deliver the organized opinion to Minister Choo. Since the Inspection Committee's resolution is not binding, Minister Choo is expected to proceed with the disciplinary committee meeting against Prosecutor General Yoon as scheduled on the 2nd.

Meanwhile, the Seoul Administrative Court, which is reviewing the suspension of duty order execution suspension case requested by Prosecutor General Yoon, is continuing the hearing for the second day and has not yet decided whether to accept it.

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