“Even ordinary prosecutors can’t bear the stigma The ‘digital marketplace’ of anger

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae listens to National Assembly Speaker Park Byung-seok’s remarks at the nomination committee appointment ceremony for the head of the criminal investigation bureau of senior civil servants held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 30th. Yunhap news

When Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae raised the issue that “the prosecution reform failed” and suggested a downside such as “coming out of the closet”, the reviewing prosecutors were shocked. The front-line prosecutors did not appear as a group, even as they repeatedly lobbied Attorney General Yoon Seok-yeol and his aides after Minister Chu took office. Inside and outside the Office of the Prosecutor, there is an analysis that “when ordinary prosecutors who silently carry out their duties are ignoring the rational issues raised, even prosecutors who agree with the tax reform are repelling them.”

According to law enforcement officials on the 1st, more than 240 comments in support of the real name were posted on the internal prosecution network by Chuncheon District Attorney Jae-man Choi, who is critical of the comments. from “ coming out of the closet ” of Minister Chu. Before Choi’s prosecution, Lee Hwan-woo posted more than 70 real-name comments on the prosecution’s internal network, saying, “The reform of the prosecution has failed.”

On the 29th of last month, Minister Chu published a post on the social networking service (SNS), addressed to this prosecutor, saying: “Okay, if it goes like this, only the reform will respond.” Minister Chu shared an article criticizing the prosecutor the day before and continued the pressure, saying, “The uncomfortable truth must continue.” Many prosecutors supported Prosecutor Choi and Prosecutor Lee, using the expression “ coming out of the closet ” used by Minister Chu in his comments.

Considering that the total number of prosecutors is around 2000, more than 10% commented. A prosecutor-level official said: “I think the ire of the reviewing prosecutors has reached a critical point.” It can be interpreted as doing, ”he explained. He continued: “If even the criminal court and court review prosecutors are expressing doubts about the various measures of the current Ministry of Justice, we have to look back to see if the minister himself is faithful to his role.”

The group actions of prosecutors in recent years are also spoken of as an expression of their intentions through a ‘digital market’. A prosecutor who only commented on the real name said: “All the prosecutors who posted critical posts on the internal network of the prosecutor’s office of Minister Chu’s staff last time have been demoted,” and said: “It is just the digital form with the signatures from previous prosecutors. The will to point out what is wrong is the same as in the past. ”

There is also the expectation that the rebellion of prosecutors will change more aggressively if the result of ‘Respond (answer is fixed, you only need to respond)’ comes out in light of the indictment order issued by Minister Chu one after another. . A prosecutor’s office in the metropolitan area predicted: “If the results of the Public Prosecutor’s Office come to light, the reaction of the prosecutors could be stronger than now.”

[조 전 장관, 추 장관 페이스북 캡처]

It is argued that the target of Chu’s attack has expanded to all ordinary prosecutors raising issues beyond General Yoon and the prosecution organization, with a history of prosecutors participating in ‘Coming Out’ even at the risk of personal disadvantage.

A reviewed prosecutor said: “I don’t understand why prosecutors who fight the case until the end of the week are stigmatized and classified as reform targets.” The acting chief prosecutor said: “There is a lot of fear that the minister’s retaliation can really be done,” he said. “The senior prosecutors came out with a desperate mind that they couldn’t stop retaliating against the prosecutor.”

Attorney General Yoon Seok-yeol, who resumed his visit to the national prosecutor’s office after eight months, is taking commemorative photos after meeting with local prosecutors at the Daejeon Prosecutor’s Office on the afternoon of the 29th of last month. Yunhap news

The internal view of the prosecution is that the atmosphere of the prosecution has changed greatly since the time of the late President Roh Moo-hyun’s dialogue with prosecutors in 2003, when the word ‘gumran’ was coined. “It is true that the prosecution in the past emphasized organization,” said a local executive-level prosecutor. He continued, “On the other hand, recent prosecutors are very sympathetic to the prosecution reform, and there is a strong environment that is focused on handling their case.” Will, “he added.

You can read the usual thoughts of front-line prosecutors in the comments posted by Supreme Prosecutor’s Prosecution Policy Investigator Im Eun-jeong on the prosecution’s internal network, saying, “The prosecution needs magnetism too.” One prosecutor commented: “I fully agree with the need for continued reform of the prosecution,” and commented: “I cannot agree with the statement that the prosecution is only itself and the rest of the prosecution is not.”

Reporters Kang Kwang-woo and Jung Yu-jin [email protected]