[Comprehensive] "Judicial Reform Promotion" Yoon Seok-yeol Returns to Duty... Tension Mounts in Democratic Party, Criticism of 'Intimidation' Also Raised

"President must find something to do so he won't be lonely"
"Trial overturning President's approval is a clear violation of separation of powers"
"Democratic Party must be resolute and take the lead"
Democratic Party criticizes Yoon Prosecutor General's reinstatement... Judiciary fiercely condemned, moves for 'court reform' underway

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is leaving the building after holding a meeting with local prosecutors at the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office on the afternoon of October 29.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 24th, the court accepted Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's request for a suspension of the disciplinary action filed against Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae, prompting a strong reaction centered on the ruling party regarding judicial reform. Among supporters of the Democratic Party of Korea, opinions are pouring out that the 'Geo-yeo' (巨與, supermajority) Democratic Party should push forward not only prosecutorial reform but also judicial reform.

Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun criticized the court as 'mere judges' during his broadcast, while Democratic Party lawmakers have voiced calls to 'promote judicial reform.' This is interpreted as a determination to reform the judiciary through the preparation and amendment of related bills, leveraging their majority seats. In this context, a current chief judge openly criticized the reform as intimidation, escalating political turmoil surrounding Prosecutor General Yoon's reinstatement.

Former Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Jong-seok criticized on his Facebook on the 25th, stating, "The attitude of the prosecution and the court's interpretation exude a strange sense of chosenness and a familiar scent of vested interests."

Lim said, "They do not pursue facts and truth. They make political judgments first and then construct cases. There is no distinction between what should and should not be done," and added, "Currently, the prosecution and the judiciary are shamelessly doing just that."

He continued, "They were handed tools and sent on errands, but they exercise authority as if it were self-created," and lamented, "There is no shame in considering the people's eyes, nor any sense of responsibility for the chaos their actions will cause. I feel so miserable, powerless, and irresponsible as I watch helplessly."

He concluded, "I will find something to do so that the President does not feel lonely. I might even start cursing on the wall. So that there will be no painful regrets again." Currently, Lim serves as a special advisor on diplomacy and security to the President.

On the afternoon of the 13th, the National Assembly plenary session passed the bill for the complete revision of the National Intelligence Service Act with 187 votes in favor out of 187 members present. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Dong-geun urged judicial reform through his Facebook, implying that the court's acceptance of Prosecutor General Yoon's request for suspension of disciplinary action is problematic.

Shin emphasized, "We will systematically and strongly promote prosecutorial and judicial reforms against the strong resistance of the legal cartel that seeks to maintain criminal and judicial power as an alliance of privileged groups, and establish democratic and civic control systems."

Another Democratic Party lawmaker, Min Hyung-bae, fiercely criticized, saying, "A trial that overturns the President's approval is a clear violation of the separation of powers," and added, "The prosecution and the judiciary are truly doing reckless things (a Jeolla dialect expression meaning someone's behavior or words are terrible)." He questioned, "How can the judgment of three judges be more rational than the disciplinary committee's decision?"

He further stated, "Questions such as whether judges can make decisions superior to the President's approval through trials, and whether this is judicial involvement in state governance, are not isolated but numerous," and criticized, "Unelected state officials are recklessly shaking the state governance system centered on the President elected by the sovereign."

He concluded, "It is too irresponsible to expect the candlelight citizens to step up again, so the National Assembly, where representatives entrusted with the authority of the sovereign citizens of this country gather, must step up. The Democratic Party must brace itself and take the lead."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seong-hwan pointed out that the judiciary, like the prosecution, is a vested interest group and is ultimately shaking democracy.

Kim stated on his Facebook, "Although the strong resistance of the prosecution was overshadowed ahead of the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), it seems some judges are very uncomfortable with their vested interest cartel being broken." He added, "The over-politicization of the judiciary and prosecution fundamentally damages democracy. The rulings related to Professor Jeong Gyeong-sim and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol symbolize this," expressing strong distrust in the court's ruling.

He continued, "What should we do? Four years ago, we gathered in Gwanghwamun to hold candlelight vigils against state corruption... Now, we must light candles online to fight against the massive vested interest cartel. The government and the National Assembly should also act more swiftly. It is the Christmas holiday and the fog is thick, visibility is zero. At times like this, we must act calmly but urgently."

Lawmaker Kim Byung-gi called for Prosecutor General Yoon's resignation. Kim said, "The person who dramatically appointed Prosecutor Yoon, who was languishing in the margins, was the President," and added, "Yoon should sincerely thank the President, at least, and fulfill his human duties."

He further stated, "As a member of the executive branch, Yoon should apologize to the people and the President for causing trouble before thanking the judiciary," and urged, "If he wants to uphold common sense, he should now step down."

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae (left) Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl (right) [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lawmaker Kim Yong-min emphasized judicial reform, leveraging the large number of seats. Kim said, "It may seem like we are losing, but we are never defeated. Even if we lose battles, we can win the war," and stressed, "Through legislation, we will make the prosecution and judiciary loyal to the people. We have enough time and seats."

Lawmaker Kim Nam-guk questioned the court's decision itself and called for Prosecutor General Yoon's apology. He pointed out, "The court's acceptance of the suspension request, while judging the creation of surveillance documents by judges as very inappropriate and dangerous, is as absurd as the previous decision allowing Jeon Kwang-hoon's Gwanghwamun rally despite concerns about the spread of infectious diseases."

He added, "Since the court judged the creation of surveillance documents as inappropriate, Yoon should sincerely apologize to the people," and said, "The purpose of creating the documents and whether they were used should be thoroughly investigated."

Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun said on the 25th on his TBS radio program 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' "This is an unacceptable ruling," and criticized, "An administrative court judge said, 'I will guarantee your term as Prosecutor General.'" He added, "The inconsistency in the court's decision document seems unimportant."

He further said, "In the world, every action has a reaction, so if the court acts like this, there will be a stronger reaction," and joked, "It's Christmas, so get angry only up to this point and continue your anger on Monday."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Amid calls for judicial reform centered on the ruling party, a current chief judge criticized, "That 'reform' reads as intimidation."

On the 25th, Kim Tae-gyu, chief judge of Busan District Court (age 53, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 28), wrote on his Facebook, "If prosecutors don't listen, it's prosecutorial reform; if judges don't listen, it's judicial reform. That reform is read as intimidation," pointing out this issue.

Judge Kim also said on the 24th, "If you threaten a judge's personal safety by vaguely accusing them of bias without commenting on the ruling, that is nothing more than coercion to 'make the ruling I want.' If that is the intention, just dispatch political instructors to the courts to decide the conclusion in advance and impeach those who do not comply. Impeachment is not difficult if you have more than 151 seats," he criticized.

He added, "The only cost is turning the country into barbarism," criticizing further. He also targeted the ruling party, saying, "I wonder if these people felt the courts were biased when many were arrested and severely punished during the deep-rooted evils and judicial turmoil."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party highly evaluated President Moon Jae-in's apology. Democratic Party spokesperson Kang Sun-woo said in a briefing on the 25th, "It is a responsible statement of position as the appointing authority," and "It expresses the will to complete prosecutorial reform." She added, "We will continue efforts to prevent problems such as the inappropriateness of judge surveillance clearly revealed by the court's judgment."

Earlier, Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok conveyed in a written briefing that President Moon said, "I hope the prosecution reflects on the fair and restrained exercise of prosecutorial power in light of the court's judgment," and "I especially hope that controversies over collecting or surveilling personal information beyond criminal information will no longer arise." He also urged, "The Ministry of Justice and the prosecution must steadily carry out follow-up measures such as prosecutorial reform and investigative authority reform through a stable cooperative relationship."

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