Deputy Minister of Justice Says "Prosecutor General Yoon's Constitutional Appeal Is a Mistake" in Telegram Chat

This Vice Minister stated, "There is no way a suspension of effect will be issued."

On the 4th, Lee Yong-gu, the newly appointed Deputy Minister of Justice, attended the 1st Subcommittee on Bill Examination of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held in private to discuss the amendment bill of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (Gong-su-cheo) at the National Assembly. Before the meeting started, he exchanged text messages with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] A conversation in which Lee Yong-gu, Deputy Minister of Justice, described the constitutional complaint filed by Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol’s side against the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act as a "bad move (惡手)" was captured in a photo.

On the 4th, Deputy Minister Lee attended the National Assembly Judiciary Committee’s Bill Review Subcommittee 1 and left a message in a Telegram chatroom via his mobile phone saying, "I think Yoon (the Prosecutor General) made a bad move, but generally this is an option chosen by the side that lacks confidence in the substance."

Deputy Minister Lee’s message was a response to a question from a participant named "Jo Doohyun," presumed to be a policy advisor to Minister Chu Mi-ae. Jo shared a link to an article related to Prosecutor General Yoon’s constitutional complaint and asked, "What is this tactic? Does it affect the Disciplinary Committee?"

Deputy Minister Lee added, "There is no way an injunction will be granted, and if this is unconstitutional, what about those who have already been disciplined? Just compare it with the Judges Disciplinary Act for now."

On the 4th, Lee Yong-gu, the newly appointed Deputy Minister of Justice, attended the 1st Subcommittee on Bill Review of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held in private to discuss the amendment bill of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (Gong-su-cheo) at the National Assembly. Before the meeting started, he exchanged text messages with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers.

Another participant in the chatroom was labeled as "Lee Jonggeun 2," and while some speculated that he might be Lee Jonggeun, Chief of the Criminal Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, Deputy Minister Lee denied this.

After the subcommittee ended, Deputy Minister Lee explained to reporters that his use of the term "bad move" was "(said) without even reading the (article) content."

Earlier, Prosecutor General Yoon’s side filed a lawsuit claiming that the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act, which allows the formation of a prosecutor disciplinary committee led by the Minister of Justice, is unconstitutional. They also filed a provisional injunction request to suspend the disciplinary committee procedures until the constitutionality is decided.

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