[속보]“Suk-yeol Yoon, two months of honesty” Disciplinary decision by Prosecutor General Cho Yoo

-On the 16th, the Disciplinary Committee of the Ministry of Justice imposed a two-month suspension of severe disciplinary action on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. It has been 22 days since Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae requested discipline against Yoon on the 24th of last month. It is the first time in the history of the constitution that the incumbent prosecutor general has been disciplined.

The disciplinary committee said, “As the prosecutor general, it was judged that it was reasonable to accept most of the six disciplinary charges raised by Chu, such as damage to the dignity and trust of political neutrality, and illegal inspection of judges in major judiciaries.”

The Disciplinary Committee held a second meeting at the Ministry of Justice in Gwacheon City, Gyeonggi Province for more than 18 hours from 10:34 am on the 15th to 4:20 am on the 16th and made this decision. Following the first 10-day meeting of 9 hours and 30 minutes, after a total deliberation of more than 24 hours, the punishment against President Yun was decided.

Among the seven disciplinary committee members, four members were present: Han-jung Jeong, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, who served as the chairman of the disciplinary committee, an Jin-jin, a professor at Chonnam National University Law School, Vice Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu, and Shin Seong-sik, head of the anti-corruption force of Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. Among the external members, lawyer A, who was a judge, was absent. President Yoon’s side requested that the seven disciplinary members be filled with additional preliminary members, but was not accepted. In addition, President Yoon’s side applied for refusal of two disciplinary members, including Professor Jeong and Director Shin, saying they had a fairness problem. However, the disciplinary committee dismissed all of them without giving any reason. Earlier at the first meeting, President Yoon’s side applied for a challenge against four out of five disciplinary members present, but the disciplinary committee rejected it. Of the eight witnesses adopted by the disciplinary committee, only five were present and interrogated. On the 10th, the disciplinary committee withdrew a witness against Shim Jae-cheol, the prosecutor’s office chief of the Ministry of Justice, who had been adopted as a witness ex officio. Director Shim submitted his position only in a written statement stating that discipline against President Yun was necessary. President Yoon’s side asked for time to write a refutation opinion in Shim’s statement, but the disciplinary committee said, “We have already given us ample opportunity to argue. Make a final statement of opinion within an hour.” Yoon rejected the final statement of opinion, and the disciplinary committee set the level of disciplinary action with the approval of a majority of the attending members after hearing only the disciplinary request from the Ministry of Justice. Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Lee Seong-yoon and former Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office 1st Criminal Chief Jeong Jin-woong, who were expected to insist on disciplinary action against President Yoon, were absent from the disciplinary committee.

Yoon avoided the dismissal, but Yun’s two-year term in office was until July next year, and he was effectively deprived of the authority to conduct investigations in major cases. As President Moon Jae-in approves the disciplinary action proposed by Minister Chu, President Yoon plans to take legal action such as an administrative lawsuit for reasons of procedural defects and unjust grounds for disciplinary action.

Reporter Bae Seok-joon [email protected]
Reporter Hwang Seong-ho [email protected]Go to reporter page>