The Justice Ministry has extended the suspension of Prosecutor Park Sang-yong of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office until a disciplinary decision is made regarding allegations of witness coercion during the investigation into the North Korean remittance case involving Ssangbangwool. In response to Park's claims of abuse of power against Minister Jeong Seong-ho, the ministry also disclosed the reasons for the disciplinary action.
According to the Justice Ministry, Minister Jeong determined that allowing Park to continue performing his duties as a prosecutor could significantly undermine the fairness of the prosecution's work and the trust of those involved in the case. Following the request for disciplinary action from Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyun on May 29, the ministry initiated the suspension process under Article 8, Section 2 of the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act.
The ministry stated, "While there is no time limit on the suspension period under this provision, it is not indefinite. Typically, prosecutors are suspended until the disciplinary committee reaches a decision on the allegations against them." It added that in the past, when a prosecutor's duties were suspended, the Justice Minister has consistently ordered the suspension until the disciplinary committee's ruling.
Acting Prosecutor General Koo identified several misconducts during the investigation, including inappropriate demands for confessions from suspects through improper investigative methods, providing external food and facilitating visits for detainees, and failing to document the investigation process on 111 occasions. On May 12, Koo requested a severe disciplinary action against Park, and the related procedures are currently underway at the Justice Ministry.
Prior to this, on April 6, Koo requested the suspension of Park's duties under Article 8, Section 3 of the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act while investigating the misconduct. Minister Jeong deemed it highly inappropriate for Park to continue his duties given the nature of the allegations and ordered the suspension for two months, effective from that day until June 5.
The Justice Ministry emphasized that the misconduct attributed to the disciplinary subject is not merely a violation of regulations or providing simple conveniences to those involved but involves repeated violations of legal procedures to obtain necessary statements during the investigation of a specific case. This conduct was deemed serious as it could pressure suspects or raise doubts about the fairness of the investigation in the eyes of their legal representatives.
In a Facebook post on May 31, Prosecutor Park claimed that the official document did not provide any basis or reasons for the additional indefinite suspension, asserting that it was unlawful. On May 29, the same day he received the suspension notice, he submitted a petition to Minister Jeong requesting the withdrawal of the suspension.
Park questioned, "In a case where a two-month suspension has been requested, can the Justice Minister unilaterally decide on an indefinite suspension without the judgment of the disciplinary committee? This implies that the Justice Minister has already predetermined the outcome as a 'dismissal' before the decision-making body has rendered its judgment, which constitutes abuse of power."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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