'Cancellation of Yoon Seok-yeol's 2-Month Suspension' Administrative Lawsuit Verdict on the 14th of Next Month

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

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The first trial verdict in the administrative lawsuit challenging the legality of the Ministry of Justice's disciplinary action against former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol will be announced next month.

On the morning of the 16th, the Administrative Division 12 of the Seoul Administrative Court (Chief Judge Jeong Yong-seok) concluded the arguments in the lawsuit seeking cancellation of former Prosecutor General Yoon's disciplinary action and decided to deliver the verdict at 2 p.m. on the 14th of next month.

Previously, former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae excluded former Prosecutor General Yoon from his duties in November last year and held a disciplinary committee in December of the same year, issuing a two-month suspension. The disciplinary reasons cited by the Ministry of Justice at the time were ▲the creation and distribution of documents alleging surveillance of major case trial panels ▲obstruction of inspection related to the Channel A case ▲obstruction of investigation related to the Channel A case ▲and violation of political neutrality.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon's side argued that these disciplinary reasons were either untrue or not problematic, and therefore both the exclusion from duty and the disciplinary action should be canceled. He applied for a suspension of execution (suspension of effect) against the exclusion from duty and disciplinary action, and the court accepted both requests within a week, allowing him to return to his duties. Former Prosecutor General Yoon later resigned from his position in March this year, about four months before the end of his term, and declared his candidacy for the presidential election in June.

Meanwhile, former Prosecutor General Yoon's side is also separately proceeding with an administrative lawsuit regarding the suspension from duty imposed by the Ministry of Justice. The court handling the lawsuit seeking cancellation of the suspension from duty plans to observe the first trial judgment of the disciplinary action cancellation lawsuit before making its ruling.

Regardless of the outcomes of the two administrative lawsuits, they will not affect former Prosecutor General Yoon's eligibility to run for office. However, many view the lawsuit results as a gauge to determine whether former Prosecutor General Yoon rightfully received exclusion from duty and disciplinary action for violating political neutrality and abusing authority, or whether, as he claims, it was an unjust measure by the current administration.

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