Hong Joon-pyo: "The Crisis of Prosecutors' Disbandment is Self-inflicted"

As Lee Jae-myung's government continues a vigorous drive for prosecutorial reform, former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo has raised questions about the accountability of the prosecution, referring to it as 'self-inflicted.'

On the 9th, Hong posted on his Facebook, "The crisis that the prosecution faces due to the political prosecution under Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon is self-inflicted by the prosecution itself," asserting that "completely restructuring the national investigative function to ensure that no political prosecution can arise any further will be the essence of prosecutorial reform."

He added, "In the future, the authority and power of prosecutors will plummet, resulting in a significant decrease in those aspiring to become prosecutors. The prosecution is likely to be downgraded to a public prosecutor's office like in the United States, bringing an end to the era of prosecutorial power supremacy," regretting that "the abuse of investigative power by these two individuals has ruined the entire prosecution."

"After Scrutinizing the Lee Jae-myung Couple, He Became President"

Hong specifically noted that former President Yoon and former Minister Han mobilized over 200 prosecutors nationwide to scrutinize the Lee Jae-myung couple, yet "that same Lee Jae-myung became president." He questioned, "Will Lee, who has seized both legislative and judicial power, let this go easily?"

The National Planning Committee and the Democratic Party are currently discussing various prosecutorial reform proposals, including the establishment of a National Investigation Commission, adjustment of the departments under the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, and methods to maintain prosecutorial investigative capabilities.

In recent discussions about the special investigation into former President Yoon, Hong repeatedly used the term 'self-inflicted.' After the second arrest warrant execution for former President Yoon on the 7th was aborted, he criticized Yoon's behavior by referencing the investigation methods from the Moon Jae-in administration during the National Nongdan incident.

"Sowing Leads to Reaping… May Follow the Precedent of Cho Kuk"

He stated, "Yoon Seok-yeol and Han Dong-hoon did not forcibly transport Choi Soon-sil, who refused to be summoned, instead opting for an arrest warrant," and continued, "During the Park Geun-hye case, they conducted summons investigations almost daily, holding court proceedings two or three times a week like a military court, even rejecting requests for a chair in prison due to back pain."

He further remarked, "It is not right to now display such shameful behavior after committing such wrongful acts," advising that "if one's actions are justified and honorable, one should not refuse any investigation."

Additionally, mentioning the special investigation and arrest warrant for Kim Geon-hee, he said, "Let's see if the special investigation can find non-arrest reasons to quell the public outrage against Mrs. Kim in this case," adding that "if the special investigation follows the precedent of former Minister Cho Kuk, former President Yoon would have no grounds to argue as it would be self-inflicted."

Image Sources: Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo / News1, Former People's Power Representative Han Dong-hoon / News1, Former President Yoon Seok-yeol / News1