Yoon-Choo conflict brings unexpected political turmoil

By Kang Seung-woo

The justice ministry's internal discussion about its response to the top prosecutor's suggestion regarding a blackmail investigation was allegedly leaked to some pro-President Moon Jae-in lawmakers before its official announcement, including Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the minor liberal Open Minjoo Party.

Rep. Choe Kang-wook of the minor liberal Open Minjoo Party / Yonhap

Choe is President Moon's former secretary for civil service discipline who won a National Assembly seat after creating the liberal Open Minjoo Party with some other pro-Moon figures who failed to get candidacy from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) for the April 15 general election.

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl have been at odds over various issues including an investigation of blackmail allegations. Choo ordered Yoon not to exercise his right to supervise investigation into the case, as the case involved Han Dong-hoon, a close ally of Yoon's, who allegedly colluded with a journalist in an attempt to frame a leading liberal figure as corrupt.

As the issue was sensitive enough to cause controversy over the prosecution's independence from the government, the leak is evolving into a scandal with the opposition and some critics claiming that the pro-Moon side and the justice ministry are plotting to disempower the prosecution.

On Wednesday evening, Choe uploaded a post on Facebook that he claimed was a statement from the justice ministry announcing that it was rejecting Yoon's request to form an independent probe team for the case.

However, the post raised eyebrows as it differed from the justice ministry's official announcement that was sent to reporters. It was later found that his post was a draft version of the ministry's statement.

Then Choe replaced his old post with a new one containing the ministry's official ― and final ― version of its statement, apologizing for the misinformation. He explained that his original post was copied and pasted from another social media platform.

But his explanation was not enough to answer how he obtained the draft of the ministry's statement, as he failed to elaborate on where he copied the post from. Choe then claimed that someone is “manipulating the media.”

“The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) claimed that Cheong Wa Dae was pulling the strings and now I am allegedly colluding with the justice ministry to do something (to bash the prosecution),” the first-term lawmaker wrote in another Facebook post.

With the row growing, the ministry said, Thursday, it was found the justice minster's aides forwarded the draft to some ruling bloc members as they did not know whether it was a draft or a final version. It said the aides did not send the draft to Choe directly.

But this explanation only brought more criticism and suspicions down on the cozy relationship between the ministry and the ruling liberal bloc.

Chin Jung-kwon, a former professor at Dongyang University and renowned critic, called the case as the second state affairs-meddling scandal, following the first one involving former President Park Geun-hye's close confidant Choi Soon-sil who interfered with state affairs.

“This incident is equivalent to presidential documents going to Choi,” Chin said on Facebook, Thursday.

“It is a critical issue that the minister's statement was leaked beforehand.”

The UFP also strongly criticized the incident.

“The justice ministry's response to the prosecution's investigation supervision was handed over to Rep. Choe in advance although Choe did not have any right to access it,” UFP floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young said in a party meeting, Thursday. “This is a case of meddling in state affairs.”

Joo added it seems Choe and some other pro-Moon figures colluded to force out Yoon, raising speculations that President Moon was pulling the strings.

As to the conflicts between Choo and Yoon over the former's order for the latter to remove himself from the investigation, the UFP filed a complaint with the Supreme Prosecutor's Office against Choo for abuse of power.