Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho has filed disciplinary requests against prosecutors who staged a mass walkout during the trial of Lee Hwa-young, former vice governor for peace affairs of Gyeonggi Province.
The Ministry of Justice said Friday that Jeong personally filed the disciplinary requests against two prosecutors from the Suwon District Prosecutors Office who had filed a motion to recuse the presiding judge and then walked out en masse during a pretrial hearing in Lee's perjury case involving allegations of a "drinking party."
The ministry said it had conducted its own internal audit under relevant regulations, and that its audit committee found misconduct on the part of four prosecutors and recommended disciplinary action. Of those four, two had already submitted resignations — and because they would be subject to dismissal, the minister issued formal warnings to them instead. Disciplinary proceedings were requested against the remaining two.
The ministry added that disciplinary procedures under the relevant statutes, including a review by the Prosecutors Disciplinary Committee, would continue for those against whom action has been requested. It also said it planned to direct the Supreme Prosecutors Service to draw up measures to prevent a recurrence.
The first and second deputy chiefs of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office at the time submitted their resignations, and only the two prosecutors who had served as chief of the criminal sixth division were reported to have been referred for a reprimand.
The case stems from an incident on Nov. 25 last year, when four prosecutors from the Suwon District Prosecutors Office attended a pretrial hearing before the criminal 11th division of the Suwon District Court — presided over by Judge Song Byeong-hun — in Lee's case on charges including violation of the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly. After the court rejected the prosecution's witness request, the prosecutors declared they "could not comply with unfair direction of the proceedings," filed a motion to recuse the presiding judge, and walked out together.
In response, President Lee Jae Myung said the following day, Nov. 26, "Contempt of a judge is misconduct against the judicial order and the constitutional system," and said he had ordered a strict audit and investigation.
The Suwon High Prosecutors Office subsequently conducted an audit at Jeong's direction. The Supreme Prosecutors Service's audit committee later concluded it would be difficult to discipline the prosecutors, but the ministry conducted a separate audit and filed the disciplinary requests. The Supreme Prosecutors Service had determined that the prosecutors reported their recusal motion to superiors in advance, but the ministry took issue with the timing of that report, saying it came too late.
The final level of discipline will be decided by the Prosecutors Disciplinary Committee, which is chaired by the justice minister.
klee@heraldcorp.com
