Justice Party: "Defendant Lee Seong-yoon's Promotion Shows Double Standards in Prosecutor Personnel Affairs... Inappropriate"

Urging Personnel Measures for Job Exclusion

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 4th, the Justice Party criticized the Ministry of Justice's promotion of Lee Seong-yoon, the Seoul High Prosecutor's Office Chief Prosecutor who is a defendant in the 'Kim Hak-ui illegal departure ban suspicion case,' through the prosecution personnel reshuffle, calling it "an extremely inappropriate personnel decision that citizens cannot possibly accept based on common sense," and strongly urged that it be treated not as a promotion but as a 'suspension from duty.'

On the same day, the Justice Party released a statement saying, "Considering the previous decision to suspend prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, who was in the status of a 'suspect,' promoting Chief Prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon, who is in the status of a 'defendant,' to the High Prosecutor's Office Chief Prosecutor is an unfair personnel decision that violates equity."

Lee Dong-young, the chief spokesperson, pointed out, "This bad practice, which has lost fairness and consistency, will only undermine citizens' trust in the prosecution," and added, "In short, the Ministry of Justice applied a double standard in the prosecution personnel reshuffle."

He also expressed serious concerns about whether the new Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo's will for reform and the prosecution's neutrality and independence can be properly maintained.

Furthermore, since Lee is under suspicion of exerting external pressure on investigations, a criminal offense related to his duties, it is questionable whether someone who lacks even internal trust within the prosecution can properly exercise command authority as the Seoul High Prosecutor's Office Chief Prosecutor.

Lee, the chief spokesperson, emphasized, "If the case is designated as a direct prosecution case where the investigating prosecutor maintains the public prosecution, it is highly likely that the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office will handle the trial. However, the fact that the defendant maintains his position as the current Seoul High Prosecutor's Office Chief Prosecutor itself raises concerns that it could directly or indirectly influence the investigation and trial," and added, "To avoid controversy over fairness and involvement in the investigation, it is appropriate to suspend 'defendant Lee Seong-yoon' from duty even now."

Finally, he stated, "We clearly say that this prosecution personnel reshuffle must be corrected based on citizens' common sense so that it does not lead again to factional conflict and political strife under the name of 'prosecution reform,'" and added, "We hope the prosecution will be reborn in its original role of defending public order and citizens' fundamental rights."

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