Justice minister nominee says broad public support exists for separating indictment, investigatory powers
Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung stepped down Tuesday after nine months in office following Sunday's nomination of a new justice minister and the administration's plans for prosecutorial reform.
Expressing concerns about the Lee Jae Myung administration's reform plan, Shim said he has decided to "step down from the heavy responsibility as prosecutor general," in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "Considering the various situations, I have decided that stepping down from the position now would be fulfilling my final responsibility."
Shim said that the reform plan, if pursued with a "set deadline and a predetermined outcome," would result in "several unexpected side-effects" to the country's criminal justice system. Reform should be pursued with the help of industry insiders and experts in order to adopt an updated system for the people, he noted.
Shim tendered his resignation Monday, according to legal sources close to the matter.
Shim had assumed the role of prosecutor general on Sept. 16, 2024, a month after former President Yoon nominated him amid ongoing bipartisan wrangling over the appointment. His term was officially set to end in September 2026.
Shim was heavily criticized by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in March after the Seoul Central District Court ordered Yoon's release from custody. The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office did not file an immediate appeal against the decision, and critics pointed to the prosecutors’ previous decisions to file appeals in similar past cases. Shim cited the need to respect the court’s order and the authority behind his decision.
In May, the Democratic Party submitted an impeachment motion against Shim, which it drafted earlier, to the plenary session of the National Assembly over his alleged role in Yoon’s failed Dec. 3 martial law bid. They accused Shim of colluding with Yoon in the martial law debacle.
The motion, however, was not put to a plenary vote despite having been sent to the Legislation and Judiciary committee to be reviewed. The motion is now likely to be scrapped due to Shim’s resignation.
The Democratic Party’s move came hours after the Supreme Court decided to strike down a lower court's acquittal of then-presidential candidate Lee Jae Myung, who became president on June 4, on charges of election law violation
Justice Minister nominee Jung Sung-ho said Tuesday the administration’s push to separate the prosecution’s powers of investigation and indictment has already gained “a certain level of public consensus.”
"I believe there is a certain level of public consensus on the issue of separating the roles of investigation and prosecution functions and redistributing powers concentrated in the prosecution," Jung said on his way to his temporary office set up in Jongno-gu, central Seoul.
“People want (an improvement) in their livelihoods and economic stability, and it seems a lot of public anticipation exists for changes in the prosecution system that has caused anxiety among the people," he said.
The nominee also said that the critics’ and the media’s use of the term “disbandment” to describe the impending changes would be incorrect, saying that it should be a move that “meets the eyes of the people.”
"I don't think there will be any opposition within the prosecution (regarding the reform plan)," the nominee said. "Except for a very small number of politically biased prosecutors, most have a sense of responsibility and pride in serving the people."
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
