The Transition Team "Reprimanded Some Prosecutors for Political Behavior in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Report"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 24th, the Government Judicial Administration Subcommittee of the Presidential Transition Committee, which postponed the Ministry of Justice's work report, criticized the recent political behavior of some prosecutors.

In a press release distributed after the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's work report that day, the Transition Committee stated, "The committee members strongly reprimanded the political behavior shown by some prosecutors in the past," and emphasized, "They particularly stressed not to misunderstand or be arrogant by thinking that the president-elect, being from the prosecution, would specially empower the prosecution." They added, "They urged to do their best to become a people's prosecution that serves only the people."

The work report was attended by Lee Yong-ho, secretary of the Transition Committee's Political Judicial Administration Subcommittee, members Yoo Sang-beom and Park Soon-ae, expert and working committee members, and Ye Se-min, head of the Planning and Coordination Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

The Transition Committee especially explained, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office deeply sympathizes with the president-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's pledges to abolish the Ministry of Justice Minister's authority to direct investigations on specific cases, the prosecution's independent budget authority, and the restoration of fairness, common sense, and the rule of law, and has agreed to actively cooperate with the Transition Committee."

This position conveyed by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to the Transition Committee is opposite to that of Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye, who opposed President-elect Yoon's pledge to guarantee prosecutorial independence at a press conference the previous day. The Transition Committee called Minister Park's remarks "rude" and effectively refused the Ministry of Justice's work report. President-elect Yoon also retorted toward Minister Park and the Moon Jae-in administration, asking, "Is this a self-assessment that prosecutorial reform did not succeed during the five years?"

Additionally, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's work report that day proceeded in the order of reporting the general status of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, reviewing the current status of major prosecution policies, and examining national tasks to be promoted by the new government linked to the president-elect's pledges.

The Transition Committee explained, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office first checked the response to election-related cases in the 20th presidential election and the status of preparations for the nationwide local elections scheduled for June 1. They also confirmed the overall status of prosecution work, including changes in the prosecution's role after the implementation of revised criminal laws and responses to livelihood crimes amid the COVID-19 situation."

They also reviewed prosecution-related pledges and national tasks in general, such as strengthening public safety and victim relief through one-stop comprehensive support for crime victims, actively responding to child abuse, heinous crimes, and power-type sex crimes, strictly punishing falsehood crimes such as perjury and false accusations, and establishing cooperation between prosecution and police and a responsible investigation system.

The Transition Committee added, "Based on today's work report, we plan to select national tasks reflecting the president-elect's national philosophy and pledges through close discussions with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and related agencies in the future and to develop implementation plans."

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