[Column] The Ministry of Justice Vice Minister Tarnished by Stigma

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] "Is the Deputy Minister of Justice really such a powerful position?"

This is the most common question I receive from acquaintances these days. It is because of former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui, who has been appearing in news reports day after day. The prosecution detected signs that the travel ban imposed on former Deputy Minister Kim on March 22, 2019, was carried out through illegal procedures, and investigated and indicted key suspects. Although the travel ban was clearly wrongful, the uncomfortable truth behind this case cannot be erased. There are allegations that former Deputy Minister Kim received several hundred million won in bribes and sexual favors from construction businessman Yoon Joong-chun and others. For the Deputy Minister, the second-in-command at the Ministry of Justice, to have accepted such enormous bribes, acquaintances as well as the public tend to see the Deputy Minister as a de facto power holder we did not know about, and as a hotbed of corruption.

At one time, the Deputy Minister of Justice was an honorable position among legal professionals, one that many aspired to reach if given the opportunity. However, recently, a series of adverse events have stained it with a "disgrace" (汚名). It is not only former Deputy Minister Kim. Former Deputy Minister Lee Yong-gu resigned six months after his appointment amid controversy after being investigated by the police for assaulting a taxi driver. Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, who served as Deputy Minister of Justice for about two years (June 2018 to April 2020), also faced controversy over "preferential treatment for former officials" after receiving advisory fees of over 200 million won for eight months from the law firm Hwahaeon.

The Deputy Minister of Justice is a crucial position overseeing the entire operations of the Ministry of Justice, even more so than the Minister. Recently, the Deputy Minister has also taken on the important role of mediating the strained relationship with the prosecution, which has become uncomfortable due to the Minister of Justice actively exercising personnel authority over the prosecution. It is undoubtedly a position that must not continue to be tainted with disgrace.

The Blue House is expected to appoint a new Deputy Minister of Justice as early as today. Like Minister Park, the Deputy Minister to be appointed this time will be the last for this administration. It is known that they prefer candidates from outside the prosecution, and Kang Sung-guk, the Director of the Legal Affairs Office and a former judge, is a strong candidate. Kang, who served as a judge for 21 years, is positively evaluated in the legal community as a reasonable figure who will perform the Deputy Minister role in a balanced manner without leaning to one side. He is also known to be well aware of Minister Park’s intentions regarding various current issues, having served as the Director of the Legal Affairs Office.

Can the new Deputy Minister Kang change the disgrace? Recently, the Blue House appointed 25-year-old Park Sung-min, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, as the Blue House Youth Secretary, a first-grade public official, causing the public to doubt their personnel capabilities, which has made Deputy Minister Kang’s burden even heavier.

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