Nine Former Prosecutor Generals Joint Statement... "Threat to Democracy and Rule of Law Must Stop"

Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Former Prosecutor Generals have expressed concern that the disciplinary suspension of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol poses a "threat to democracy and the rule of law" and issued a joint statement urging the suspension of the disciplinary procedure.

On the 16th, nine former Prosecutor Generals?Kim Gak-young, Song Kwang-soo, Kim Jong-bin, Jeong Sang-myeong, Im Chae-jin, Kim Jun-gyu, Kim Jin-tae, Kim Su-nam, and Moon Moo-il?released a statement saying, "Regarding the two-month suspension disciplinary action taken against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor Generals believe that the overall situation leading to this point will be a significant stain on the rule of law."

They continued, "Putting aside doubts about whether this disciplinary reason required such a procedure, we cannot help but worry that neutralizing the Prosecutor General through this disciplinary process and holding him accountable may hinder the normal functioning of judicial procedures."

The former Prosecutor Generals stated, "The fixed term system for the Prosecutor General, introduced in 1988 by bipartisan agreement in the National Assembly, is the last safeguard to ensure the neutrality of the prosecution and the independence of investigations. This disciplinary action effectively forces the legally guaranteed term of the Prosecutor General to be interrupted, setting a precedent that makes it difficult for the Prosecutor General to make fair and conscientious decisions independently from political influence."

They further expressed, "Recognizing the gravity of the situation, we express the following opinions: Prosecutorial members should reflect on historical experiences where expectations of the public were not met in some important past cases and take these as lessons to strive harder to ensure that criminal justice procedures proceed more justly and fairly."

They emphasized, "This disciplinary procedure poses too great a risk of being the beginning of a threat to the democracy and rule of law that our people have painstakingly built, and therefore must be stopped."

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