President Lee: "Special Prosecutor Will Help Restore, Not Undermine, Military Morale"

President Lee Jae Myung argued during the Cabinet meeting held on the 10th of last month that the three major special prosecutor bills, including the special investigation into insurrection, would actually help restore military morale rather than undermine it.

President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the meeting minutes released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 16th, President Lee stated, "The majority of commanders and soldiers remained loyal to the people, not to unjust orders from superiors, even during the period of martial law. It is important to fully explain this. I will make sure that military morale is not undermined and that no unjust disadvantages occur."

This was a rebuttal to then-Deputy Defense Minister Kim Sunho, who had expressed concern that including allegations of collusion with foreign powers in the scope of the special prosecutor's investigation into insurrection could seriously damage the military's morale and honor, as the investigation would be based on the presumption that the military may have committed crimes in collaboration with the enemy.

Several Cabinet members appointed during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration also expressed concerns about the special prosecutor bills. Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Lee Jooho said, "It is not appropriate for current Cabinet members to deliberate on this bill, so I ask that it be postponed." Unification Minister Kim Youngho also stated, "If state secrets are disclosed through the special prosecutor's briefings, it could undermine the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

In response, President Lee said, "Even if you have expressed opposition, you may ultimately agree to the resolution. If anyone wishes to reject the proposal, please state so." Deputy Prime Minister Lee approved the three special prosecutor bills as originally proposed.

The meeting minutes also included remarks regarding the description of the Korea Communications Commission chairperson's role as a 'sole authority.' Chairperson Lee Jinsook said, "Currently, only two of the five standing commissioners remain, and one of them has submitted a resignation, leaving me alone. In this situation, where it is impossible to make decisions on agenda items, I believe that adopting a sole authority system, as is the case in other ministries, may be more appropriate."

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