Shim Woo-jeong, the Prosecutor General, Announces Resignation

It has been confirmed that Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jeong has abruptly expressed his intention to resign.

According to legal circles on the 1st, General Shim submitted his resignation the previous day (30th). It is reported that he is expected to release an official statement at around 3 PM on this day.

A farewell ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow (2nd).

Background of the Decision to Cancel Former President Yoon's Arrest

Previously, the head of the 25th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, Judge Gyu-yeon, who presided over the trial concerning former President Yoon Seok-yeol's rebellion case, accepted the defense’s request for release and decided to cancel the arrest in March.

He judged it appropriate to calculate the extended period of detention due to the pre-arrest interrogation of the suspect in units of "hours" rather than "days."

As a result, it was recognized that the prosecution had charged former President Yoon after the detention period had already expired, which served as grounds for the cancellation of the arrest. Additionally, questions were raised regarding whether the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) had the authority to investigate the rebellion case.

Deliberating on Immediate Appeal… Conclusion is 'Order for Release'

Within the investigation team, opinions were presented advocating for an immediate appeal against the decision to cancel the arrest. However, General Shim, after reviewing the possibility of unconstitutionality through a meeting with the heads of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, decided not to challenge the cancellation and directed the release of former President Yoon.

The civic group Justice Reform Citizens Action raised concerns that this decision constitutes abuse of power and dereliction of duty, filing a complaint against General Shim with the CIO. The Democratic Party and the Justice Reform Party also submitted similar complaints to the CIO.

The CIO has assigned these complaint cases to its Investigation Division 3 and has decided to transfer them to the special prosecution unit investigating the rebellion case (Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok).

Resignations of High-ranking Prosecutors Follow

Meanwhile, as President Lee Jae-myung, a fellow classmate from the Judicial Research and Training Institute (18th class) and a prominent figure among pro-Lee lawmakers, is nominated as the Minister of Justice, Seoul Southern District Prosecutor Shin Eung-seok and Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor Yang Seok-joo have also announced their intentions to resign.

With General Shim's resignation, it is anticipated that more high-ranking prosecutors may follow suit.

Image source: Shim Woo-jeong, Prosecutor General / News1, News1