▲ Ministry of Justice Building
A decision is expected next week regarding whether to discipline prosecutors involved in a mass courtroom walkout during the perjury trial of former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young.
The Ministry of Justice plans to hold a disciplinary committee meeting at 2:00 p.m. on the 21st to review the disciplinary request for former Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 6 heads Kim Hyun-woo and Seo Hyun-wook.
The disciplinary committee plans to deliberate on the disciplinary request after hearing statements regarding whether they reported to superiors before filing a request to recuse the judge.
Previously, the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee had planned to hold a disciplinary meeting for them on September 16, but postponed the schedule once.
Former Minister of Justice Sungho requested reprimands for Senior Prosecutors Kim and Seo on August 14, holding them responsible for commanding the mass walkout.
On November 25 of last year, four prosecutors from the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office stated their intention to file a motion to recuse the presiding judge and walked out of the courtroom during a preparatory hearing for the trial of former Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young on charges including violations of the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly at the Suwon District Court.
The prosecutors cited reasons such as being unable to follow unfair trial management, including the dismissal of the prosecution's witness requests.
President Lee Jae-myung expressed concern and regret the next day, calling it "an act that undermines courtroom order," and ordered an inspection and investigation.
Although the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Committee concluded in April that it was difficult to take disciplinary action on this matter, the Ministry of Justice conducted a separate inspection, acknowledged wrongdoing such as the violation of the obligation to report in advance regarding the motion for judicial recusal, and recommended disciplinary action.
Ministerial warnings were issued to former Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Deputy Chief Prosecutors Kim Hyuna and Lee Seong-beom, who had already submitted their resignations among the four prosecutors subject to inspection.
(Photo provided by Ministry of Justice, Yonhap News)
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