'No need to do it artificially,' nominee says
Nominee states position on fabricated-indictment special prosecutor act
'I will share my views during the legislative process'
Kim Seung-won, the nominee for justice minister, said Tuesday he opposes granting a special prosecutor the authority to withdraw indictments, and pledged to voice that opposition during the National Assembly's legislative process on a related bill.
At his confirmation hearing before the Assembly on Tuesday, Kim told People Power Party lawmaker Park Hyung-su, who had raised the issue, that he had opposed including a charge-withdrawal provision "even when I was a National Assembly member," adding, "I don't think there is any need to do it so artificially."
Park noted that Kim had said on a radio program before his nomination that it would be appropriate for the justice minister to withdraw indictments, but that after being nominated he said he had no intention of directing the prosecutor general to do so — suggesting Kim had changed his position.
Kim said the earlier remarks reflected his concerns as a lawmaker about public anxiety over fabricated indictments, while his current stance represented a promise to act in accordance with the law as justice minister nominee.
The Democratic Party of Korea had previously introduced a "fabricated-indictment special prosecutor act" aimed at investigating allegations of manipulated investigations and indictments by prosecutors and others during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
The bill includes a provision allowing the special prosecutor to decide whether to maintain indictments in cases transferred to the office, drawing criticism that it was designed with the withdrawal of charges against President Lee Jae Myung in mind.
Park said in this regard that "countless citizens who felt wronged by fabricated charges fought for and won acquittals in court," and asked, "Isn't it special treatment to simply end the matter through a charge withdrawal just because he is the president?"
Kim reiterated his opposition to granting charge-withdrawal authority under the special prosecutor act, saying, "I will share my views during the legislative process."
th5@heraldcorp.com
