Ruling bloc to blame for top prosecutor quitting
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl resigned Thursday to protest the ruling bloc's campaign to weaken the state prosecution service. In a brief press conference in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office he said, "I can no longer see the collapse of justice and common sense which our society has built up for a long time." He said he would make maximum efforts to safeguard the country's liberal democracy and protect the people whatever he now does.
Yoon's resignation has essentially been heralded since Cheong Wa Dae began pushing for the establishment of the so-called Serious Crimes Investigative Agency under the Ministry of Justice. Yoon had been resisting the move as it was designed to take the investigative authority away from the prosecution for probes into six types of crimes including high-profile corruption.
Yoon said he would renounce his post as the top prosecutor 100 times over if he could prevent the formation of the new investigative agency. It is worrisome that the chief prosecutor has resigned citing the reason, "destruction of rule of law." During a visit to Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, he went on to claim that the move toward the new agency, meant to deprive the prosecution of its investigative rights, is tantamount to a "sellout to corruption," and a case of the government neglecting its duty as stipulated by the Constitution.
In response Cheong Wa Dae expressed its displeasure. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said he would recommend the resignation of Yoon to President Moon Jae-in, prompting Yoon to tender it. He purportedly decided to do so out of fear that if he did nothing it might be misunderstood as if he tacitly acknowledged the ruling bloc's attempt to rip up the prosecution's investigative rights and shake the principle of rule of law.
The Moon administration should be held largely responsible for Yoon's resignation. While naming Yoon as the top prosecutor early in his tenure, the President praised him for his relentless efforts to dig out the corruption committed under former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. But Moon and his ruling Democratic Party of Korea began to turn their backs on Yoon when the prosecution embarked on investigations into cases involving Justice Minister Cho Kuk and his family and the presidential office's alleged intervention in the election of Ulsan mayor.
Former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae led a series of moves to get rid of Yoon but to no avail as he resisted, even filing law suits. But Yoon chose to quit his post, in defiance of the ruling bloc's move to take the investigative rights into the six types of crimes away from the prosecution.
The prosecution has been plunged into frustration with the sudden resignation of the top prosecutor. Yoon stepping down will also likely apply the brakes to ongoing investigations into high-profile cases of irregularities. It seems to have caught the people by surprise and dismay, since the Moon administration had vowed to guarantee the tenure of the prosecutor general and political neutrality. We urge Cheong Wa Dae to carefully listen to the voices opposing the setting up of the new investigative agency and refrain from rushing this through.
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