Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Top prosecutor faces internal criticism for 'succumbing to power'
Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party chant slogans while holding placards condemning the prosecution’s decision not to appeal the ruling in a trial involving a land development scandal involving President Lee Jae Myung when he was mayor of Seongnam, during a general assembly meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
Opposition party calls prosecution's decision not to appeal development project case 'gov't judicial interference'
The leadership of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is facing vehement criticism from within, as well as from opposition politicians who accused the office of “succumbing to power” after its decision not to appeal a court ruling in a development scandal case linked to President Lee Jae Myung.
The scandal began in 2015 when a small private developer, Hwacheon Daeyu, allegedly colluded with officials from the urban development unit in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, securing hundreds of billions of won in profits while the city government lost money on the project. At the time, Lee was the mayor of Seongnam. Several people involved in the project were given prison terms and fines for bribery and abuse of power as a result of the most recent ruling on Oct. 31.
The heads of the nation’s 18 regional prosecutors’ offices issued a statement Monday to demand that acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok explain why he ordered investigators of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office to not appeal the ruling.
The unusual statement addressing the top prosecutor came after the Seoul office dropped the appeal on Friday night, following instructions from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and the central district office chief, Jung Jin-woo, resigned the next day.
Noh said he referred to the Ministry of Justice's opinion — a remark that aroused suspicions of interference from the ministry and the presidential office.
"The head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office apparently planned to appeal, but they finally respected the acting prosecutor general's order to not appeal ... he offered to resign, saying he was unable to convince his superiors to proceed with the appeal," the statement from the prosecutors read.
Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok walks past reporters as he arrives at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
"And the acting prosecutor general said he was briefed on the Seoul office's plan, referred to the justice ministry's opinion and considered all aspects of the case, concluding that it was appropriate not to appeal," it said. "His stance does not explain the legal reasoning of his conclusion ... so we ask him to give more explanation."
Senior researchers at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office also issued a separate statement to formally urge Noh to resign. "The leadership has abandoned its duty to uphold justice and it should take full responsibility for the consequences," they said in the statement.
Opposition parties also vehemently criticized the leadership of the prosecution. Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, head of the main opposition People Power Party, said the case could amount to “judicial interference” by the government and even grounds for impeachment if the president is found to have influenced the decision.
Saying the first ruling was insufficient to punish those involved, he said in a party meeting that the decision not to appeal "blocked the road of Daejang-dong toward the final stop, meaning Lee Jae Myung."
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho denied any ministry involvement.
“We only advised them (prosecutors) to make a prudent and comprehensive judgment,” he told reporters outside the ministry building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. “The outcome was still favorable to the prosecution, as the sentence was heavier than they initially sought.”
He dismissed claims that the decision cost the state billions in recoverable damages, calling such reports groundless.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea also supported the minister, saying that prosecutors had made a responsible and independent judgment, rejecting any suggestions of outside pressure.
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho speaks to reporters as he arrives at the Ministry of Justice in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, regarding the prosecution’s decision to drop its appeal of the trial ruling in the Daejang-dong land development case. Yonhap