When President Yoon Seok-yeol appointed a number of former prosecutors, the Chosun Ilbo criticized it and put the brakes on it. The former chief of the criminal department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office was appointed as the deputy minister-level head of the National Intelligence Service’s keynote office, and the former director of the Suncheon branch was appointed as the chief of the Prime Minister’s Office. The Chosun Ilbo also sent a message of concern to President Yoon, saying that former President Moon Jae-in concentrated on employing people from the movement and the Minbyun and Participation Solidarity, and in this case, it is easy to fall into the error of ‘group thinking’.
The chairman of the Samsung Compliance Committee, which has to monitor Samsung’s legal obligations, is criticized for joining Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s claim of amnesty. The Hankyoreh pointed out this issue in an editorial on the 7th and was concerned that the NSSC could become ineffective.
On the other hand, most newspapers on that day reported articles expressing expectations for Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, who was on a business trip to Europe. In addition, while an amendment to the law was proposed to prevent rallies and demonstrations near the residence of former President Moon Jae-in, there has been an argument that protests in front of corporate offices such as Samsung and Vice Chairman Lee’s house should also be regulated.
While the Seoul National Federation of Arts Societies (Seoul Folk Arts Federation) held an exhibition of works that caricatured journalists who were critical of the Moon Jae-in government, Maeil Business Newspaper raised the issue in an editorial. Maeil Economic Daily called the exhibition “anti-intellectual violence” and insisted that “exhibitions that mock journalists and infringe on press freedom should be stopped immediately.” Earlier, the Korea Journalists Association urged the exhibition to be stopped.
Chosun warns of biased personnel in new government prosecutors
The Chosun Ilbo, in its editorial “Prosecutors are all over the place, ‘If the personnel is biased, judgment can be biased’”, referring to the appointment of former prosecutors to the chief of the National Intelligence Service and the Prime Minister’s Office He was appointed as the head of the criminal department, and he also served as a lawyer in the case of Mrs. Kim Gun-hee’s stock price manipulation,” he said.
The Chosun Ilbo reported, “Six out of 40 people at the presidential office level or higher are from the prosecution. There is no precedent for the appointment of former prosecutors, even the head of the department,” he said. It has become a structure that is dominated by the prosecutor’s background,” he pointed out.
He added, “There are six people with prosecuting experience at the ministerial level, and for the first time, a former prosecutor was appointed to the ministerial level of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Veterans Affairs.
He also mentioned that former prosecutors will be mentioned in future personnel appointments. The Chosun Ilbo said, “It is said that a former prosecutor was actually appointed to the Fair Trade Commission.” “It’s called the ‘economic prosecutor’, but the chairman of the Fair Trade Commission has never led the Fair Trade Commission. This person said that President Yoon had a ‘carpool’ relationship while working at the Seongnam branch in the late 1990s, and the Vice Minister of Justice was also a ‘carpool’ member at the time.” The person currently being mentioned as the chairman of the Fair Trade Commission is Kang Su-jin, a professor at Korea University Law School, who worked with President Yoon at the Seongnam Branch in 1997.
The Chosun Ilbo also criticized this, saying, “Most of the selected prosecutors are people who are personally close to President Yoon.”
The Chosun Ilbo said, “Ex-President Moon concentrated on recruiting people from the activist movement and the Minbyun and Participation Solidarity, but if it goes too far, it’s easy to fall into the error of ‘groupthink’,” said the Chosun Ilbo. He continued, “Investigation, information, and personnel are public domains where mutual checks are important.” He said, “Even the ruling party lawmakers raised the issue, saying, ‘If personnel are biased, judgment can be biased to one side’.” words,” he said.
Hankyoreh criticizes Lee Jae-yong’s pardon theory
Chan-hee Lee, the 2nd chairman of the Samsung Supervisory Board, met with reporters after a meeting with the top management of Samsung affiliates on the 3rd and said, “If Samsung’s top management cannot manage properly because of the trial, eventually the people will suffer.” He told the Hankyoreh on the 5th that “there is a lot of public opinion that it should be revived because the economy is struggling after Corona 19.”
In an editorial, the Hankyoreh said, “The argument for parole and pardon by Vice Chairman Lee, who raised public opinion and the economic crisis, is not a thing of the past, but it seems to have erupted after his parole in August last year, especially with the arrival of a new government.” He pointed out that claiming that we should give special privileges again can shake the rule of law and erode Korea’s credibility abroad.”
The Hankyoreh argued, “It is difficult to understand the reason for ‘disruption of business activities’ as he attended US President Joe Biden and President Yoon’s visit to the semiconductor factory in Pyeongtaek on the 20th of last month and went on a business trip to Europe for two weeks starting this week.”
On this day, many media outlets expressed expectations for Vice Chairman Lee’s European business trip.
“Why is Lee Jae-yong going on a business trip to the place where he declared ‘change everything except wife’?” (Chosun Ilbo)
“Lee Jae-yong to Europe, resumes global field management… Pay attention to semiconductor activities” (Dong-A Ilbo)
“Lee Jae-yong going to Europe… Is large-scale investment and M&A materialized?” (Seoul Shimbun)
“Vice President Jae-Yong Lee, on a business trip to Europe today… Expectation of large-scale M&A surge” (Electronic Newspaper)
“The 29th anniversary of Lee Kun-hee’s Shin Young-young declaration… Lee Jae-yong’s 勝於父 (Exceeding Father)” (Maeil Business News)
“Lee Jae-yong, traveling to Europe, ‘risks his life’ to take care of semiconductors” (Ilgan Sports)
Regarding the remarks made by Chan-hee Lee, the chairman of the Hankyoreh, the Hankyoreh said, “More than anything else, this remark is dangerous in that the status of an organization that independently monitors Samsung’s compliance and ethical management can lose its reputation.” Although there were many critical views due to the ‘natural limitations’ that it was installed according to the order of the court, it was evaluated that it led to the public apology of Vice Chairman Lee and the abolition of non-union management through the first activities.”
The Hankyoreh said, “It is pointed out that the succession of amnesty may affect the trial of Vice Chairman Lee, which is ongoing due to the controversy over accounting manipulation that arose during the Samsung C&T merger. Wouldn’t it be strengthened?”
Conservative media demanding to stop protests in front of Jaeyong Lee’s house
Meanwhile, voices of concern over the protests in front of Vice Chairman Lee’s house were also heard. Amid the recent controversy surrounding the residence of former President Moon in Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan-si, Gyeongnam, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Cheong-rae proposed an amendment to the Gypsy Act (Assembly and Demonstration Act). It is about adding the residence of the former president to a place where gatherings are prohibited. Then, some media outlets argued that Vice Chairman Lee’s house and Samsung’s office building should also be designated as places where protests are prohibited.
In the editorial “Change the Gypsies Law to stop swearing and intimidation in front of Mr. Moon as well as to stop swearing and intimidation,” Maeil Business News said, “It is not only the former President Moon and his wife and residents of Pyeongsan Village who are suffering from rallies and protests.” is worse Even to the daycare center on the first floor of the Samsung Seocho office building, long songs and profanity were heard so loudly that children complained of pain.”
Maeil Business News Agency said, “The front of Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s house also turns into a demonstration site full of profanity. It is of no use to report it,” he said.
In an editorial from the Chosun Ilbo, “The area around the headquarters of large corporations has been a liberating area for noise and profanity protests for a long time. Even in front of Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s house, rallies and protests have been held since April 13.”
In the editorial, “The principle of zero tolerance for ‘‘the law’’ protests and strikes, the Korean economy said, “The executives and managers of numerous large corporations such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motors are exposed to profanity and curses through speakers and loudspeakers from retired employees and labor and civic groups. “Companies have filed numerous complaints about this ‘protest hell’ situation, but I have never heard of the police disbanding the protesters.”
Maekyung, “Anti-Sexual Violence” at the Folk Craft Gun Exhibition
Maekyung said in her editorial “Anti-Intellectual Violence, Exhibition of Folk Art Guns mocking 110 journalists,” “The act of insulting and expressing hatred by pointing out journalists who have a different opinion than themselves is not art, but rather violence and defamation.” They are attacking the media with a biased, partisan view without revealing whether or not they have been identified as fake news producers, so there is no reason to be irresponsible.”
Maekyung said, “Among the caricatures, there are many journalists in charge of legal affairs at broadcasters and newspapers who verified former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, as well as reporters who criticized the Moon Jae-in administration. It is no different from the ‘cultural blacklist’ of the Park Geun-hye administration, and it is an act that threatens freedom of the press.”
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