On the 19th, Prosecutor General Kim Oh-su announced his official opposition to Justice Minister Park Beom-gye’s open recruitment for outside prosecutors.
According to the Dong-A Ilbo coverage, Ye Se-min, head of the planning and coordination department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, told senior prosecutors such as the chief of the high prosecutors’ office and the chief of the district prosecutor’s office on the afternoon of the 17th, “On the 17th, the Ministry of Justice announced that the Supreme Prosecutors’ “In this regard, the Prosecutor General has explicitly conveyed the opinion that it is difficult to accept.” The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office delivered a dissenting opinion to the Ministry of Justice this afternoon.
Director-General Kim said to the Ministry of Justice for the following reasons: △There is a possibility that it may conflict with the purpose of personnel-related laws and regulations such as the Public Prosecutor’s Office Act, △There is a risk of infringing on the political neutrality and independence of the Prosecutor’s Office, and △It may cause a decrease in the self-esteem and morale of members of the Prosecutor’s Office. declared unacceptable. The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office said, “I fully sympathize with the concerns and concerns of the members of the prosecution regarding this announcement of appointment, and I will actively express the opinion of the Prosecutor General on personnel matters in accordance with Article 34 of the Public Prosecutor’s Office Act.” According to the Prosecutor’s Office Act, the Minister of Justice is obliged to recommend the position of a prosecutor after hearing the opinion of the Prosecutor General.
Earlier, on the 17th, the Ministry of Justice issued a notice on the ‘2022 Prosecutor’s Appointment Support Guide’ to select one expert in the field of serious accidents, industrial safety, and labor as the chief prosecutor. In response, internal protests such as “There is no precedent for colluding outside personnel in the investigation command line” arose from within the prosecution.
Reporter Wonmo Yoo onemore@donga.com
