Prosecutor Publicly Demands Explanation Over Disciplinary Actions in Suwon Prosecutors' Office Walkout Case

As the Ministry of Justice requested disciplinary action against prosecutors involved in the "Suwon Prosecutors' Office group walkout incident," an active-duty prosecutor has publicly protested, demanding that the grounds for the disciplinary decision be clarified.

Kong Bong-suk, a prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, posted an article on the previous day on e-Pros, the prosecution's internal network, titled "Please Clarify the Grounds for Disciplinary Decisions Against the Suwon Prosecutors' Office Leadership."

Prosecutor Kong stated, "Although the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Committee decided on non-indictment, the Ministry of Justice directly reconvened the inspection committee to resolve on disciplinary action," adding, "An explanation is needed on why the judgment was reversed from 'all not guilty' to 'disciplinary action.'"

Regarding the abuse of the right to file an application for judicial recusal, which is known as the grounds for disciplinary action, she said, "Prosecutors are holders of the right to file an application for recusal under the Criminal Procedure Act," and added, "I do not know which part of the Suwon prosecutors' actions at the time constituted an abuse of the recusal application right, or what the leadership wrongfully directed and supervised."

Mentioning that a significant number of witnesses who were initially dismissed were later adopted in the subsequent public participation trial, and that Lee Hwa-young, former Vice Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, was found guilty of perjury, she noted, "It appears to have been a very necessary and appropriate measure given the circumstances at the time."

Regarding the alleged violation of the obligation to report in advance, she also argued, "I understand that the Suwon Prosecutors' Office reported the fact of the recusal application to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in advance," and challenged, "If there are any cases where a front-line prosecutors' office reported to the Ministry of Justice before applying for judicial recusal, bring them forward."

Prosecutor Kong further criticized, "Prosecutors will no longer be able to know the standards for what constitutes proactive handling of duties versus an abuse of prosecutorial authority," adding, "Ultimately, this leaves them with no choice but to engage in extreme passivity, defeatism, and second-guessing."

In November of last year, prosecutors from the Suwon Prosecutors' Office expressed their intention to file for judicial recusal and all walked out of the courtroom after their request for witnesses was dismissed during the trial of former Gyeonggi Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young over the "drinking party suspicion perjury case."

Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho requested reprimand disciplinary measures on the previous day against two prosecutors who served as the heads of the 6th Criminal Division at the Suwon Prosecutors' Office at the time.

The 1st and 2nd deputy chiefs of the Suwon Prosecutors' Office at the time received ministerial warnings, taking into account factors such as their submission of resignation letters.

Previously, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Committee concluded in April that it would be difficult to discipline the prosecutors in question, but the Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee determined that they should have reported to and received approval from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in advance, thereby recognizing the misconduct, it was learned.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.