Minister Chu: "Will Consider Inspection Committee's Recommendations"

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae expressed her position on the recommendation from the Inspection Committee, stating that she would "take it fully into consideration."

On the 1st, Minister Choo said shortly after the committee's recommendation was announced in the afternoon, "In the process of following disciplinary procedures according to laws and regulations in the future, we will fully take into account today's recommendations from the Inspection Committee."

On the same day, the Inspection Committee resolved that the disciplinary request, suspension from duty, and investigation referral against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol were all inappropriate. It was reported that all attending committee members unanimously agreed on this opinion. Although the committee's resolutions or recommendations are not binding, they are expected to pose a significant burden on Minister Choo and the disciplinary committee members attending the disciplinary hearing on the 2nd when deciding on severe disciplinary actions such as dismissal or removal against Prosecutor General Yoon.

The inspection committee 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 for explanation." It is known that 7 out of the total 11 members, including Chairman Kang Dong-beom, attended the meeting. 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 were present.

The inspection committee listened to Officer Park’s report on the progress of the inspection investigation on Prosecutor General Yoon and the reasons for the disciplinary decision. Afterwards, it was reported that Yoon’s side explained for about 40 minutes the illegality and unfairness of the disciplinary request and suspension from duty. After hearing explanations from both the Ministry of Justice and Prosecutor General Yoon’s side, the inspection committee concluded after internal discussions that "the disciplinary request, suspension from duty, and investigation referral against Prosecutor General Yoon are inappropriate."

In response, Minister Choo rebutted, saying, "The inspection was conducted according to lawful procedures, including efforts to provide multiple opportunities for explanation, and as a result, disciplinary charges were recognized, leading to the disciplinary request against the Prosecutor General." Minister Choo stated her intention to proceed with the disciplinary committee scheduled for the 2nd despite the Inspection Committee’s recommendation.

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