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| The Supreme Prosecutors' Office/ Yonhap |
By Kim Se-jeong
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae renewed her pressure on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, Tuesday, asking him to implement her order on an ongoing investigation into a case involving a journalist and a senior prosecutor, in yet another sign of tension between the two.
"Mr. Prosecutor! Stop hesitating and follow my order," Choo said in a statement released Tuesday.
Yoon has not yet responded to her renewed call.
The case involves the senior prosecutor who is a close aide of Yoon. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office which has sided with Minister Choo wants an independent and thorough investigation into the case.
On the other hand, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office which stands behind Yoon views the district's investigation as too deliberate and political and wants to ask an expert advisory panel to decide whether the investigation is valid.
Currently, the prosecution is divided between pro-Cho and pro-Yoon prosecutors.
Last week, Choo ordered the district office to continue the investigation without letting Yoon know, a move many inside and outside the prosecution viewed as an abuse of power.
In response, Yoon called a meeting with senior prosecutors from across the country Friday during which the majority voiced opposition to Choo's move. ㅆhe head prosecutor from the Seoul Central District Office didn't attend. With regards to the ongoing case, they recommended designating a special prosecutor who would start a fresh investigation.
On Monday, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office released the result of the meeting officially.
The situation puts Yoon between a rock and a hard place.
Some news media outlets report Yoon was considering resignation which would be a victory for Choo, while others predict he will stay and try to find an accommodation with the minister.
But Choo and Yoon have not been on good terms from the minister's first day in office.
Yoon, who was inaugurated last year, was President Moon's pick for the role of prosecutor general, however he quickly became a headache for Moon as he ordered investigations into the President's close aides.
The prosecutor general ordered an investigation into Cho Kuk, the former justice minister and a confidante of Moon, who spearheaded prosecutorial reform, over corruption allegations involving his family members. Cho resigned from the post late last year and he and his wife are currently on trial.
Yoon also ordered an investigation into the 2017 Ulsan mayoral election over Cheong Wa Dae's meddling to save another one of Moon's close allies.
Moon openly told Yoon to stop being excessively harsh with cases involving his aides, while asking him to look into corruption cases involving officials who opposed him.
Choo came into office in January and started to pressure Yoon. The minister, against Yoon's wishes, restructured the prosecutor's office and reassigned people ― putting prosecutors who supported her in higher positions.
The ongoing tension poses a challenge to Moon's long drive for prosecutorial reform. For a long time in Korea, prosecutors were privileged and frequently embroiled in claims of corruption.
