“I can say with certainty that there is no possibility of that at all,” Kim Ki-hyun, chairman of the National People’s Power, said at a recent workshop for party leaders. This was meant to allay the concerns of party chairpersons that they might lose their districts to strategically appointed prosecutors. But the party’s explanation was different. “There is no such thing as a blanket nomination of prosecutors, but on the contrary, it means that prosecutors can run for office as long as they are competitive,” he said. This is an admission that Kim’s remarks were a bit of a blindfold.
Around the passport, there are speculations about the candidacies of former prosecutors in the presidential office and government. Party names and even specific regions are mentioned. In Yongsan, there are rumors that a traffic jam is underway to select candidates, and that they are discussing strategic nominations and contests based on their chances of winning. “It’s not my decision to run,” said one senior prosecutor. While this was a euphemism for his intention to run, it was an indirect admission that he might win the presidency.
President Yoon is known to be very willing to send his aides to the general election. It is not hard to see why he would intervene in the ruling party’s national convention to create a new party leader, and why he would try to seize the power of the people by electing a number of people he trusts. For a president who doesn’t trust politicians, longtime prosecutors are probably the most trustworthy group.
Former prosecutors in ministries… Similar to the National Intelligence Service of the past
While the political sphere is still in its infancy, other areas of government are already dominated by prosecutors. In addition to the president’s office and the cabinet토토사이트, prosecutors also work in key government ministries such as the National Intelligence Service, the Financial Supervisory Service, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. According to Participation Alliance, there are 136 former prosecutors in key offices. In the case of the Ministry of Education, the rationale is to “address legislative demands for education reform,” but it is absurd to see so many lawyers performing the same tasks. The assignment of prosecutors to the Ministry of Labor is reminiscent of “union bashing.
It’s not hard to see why prosecutors, who specialize in investigating and prosecuting, are embedded in government departments. Not only do they provide legal advice, but they are likely to intervene in the direction and content of policy. There are also concerns that the NIS will try to influence the personnel of government ministries by passing on ‘secrets’ to the Ministry of Justice, which is in charge of verifying the personnel of high-ranking officials. There is no law that the National Intelligence Service will not monitor the trends of public officials, as it has done in the past by sending agents to government ministries to identify trends.
Under Yoon Seok-yeol, prosecutors have been mobilizing powerful investigative powers to control our society. There is a widespread fear that they can investigate, raid, and prosecute anyone they want. Not a day goes by without opposition figures being targeted by prosecutors, and heads of organizations appointed by the previous regime being raided and ousted. There is also talk of the prosecution playing a role in the upcoming “broadcast control” process.
The atmosphere of incarceration of the entire society is making even those who are categorized as the government’s allies nervous. Businessmen are worried that KT, which has been hounded by the government, will not touch the regime. Some lamented that no businessman would be free from investigations under a “prosecutor’s regime. Even ruling party lawmakers are on edge, not knowing when the prosecutors’ blades will turn on them.
President Yoon is living in a fantasy and illusion about the prosecution. In his view, prosecutors investigate, so they quickly become experts in their field. However, the role of a prosecutor is basically to determine the punishment for violations of the law. They may have the skills and capabilities to deliver justice, but they are limited in their ability to mediate and resolve social conflicts.
In Yoon’s eyes, the prosecution’s aggressive actions may seem to resolve the issue quickly, but it is not resolving the problem, but rather building up conflict and anger. It may be a sign that the Korean Trade Union Confederation has had enough of the authorities’ repression and has turned to a general strike. Sooner or later, when a large number of former prosecutors are nominated for office, there will be a backlash from the people’s power. I hope President Yoon realizes that prosecutors’ investigative skills are not the same as their governing skills.
Insights by Lee Chung-jae (https://chungjae.com) comes to you every day from Monday to Friday on . Lee Chung-jae joined The Korea Times in 1987 and has served as a social editor, editor-in-chief, chief editorial writer, and lead writer. Based on his long experience as a journalist, he takes an objective and balanced look at current events in our society. We look forward to your continued interest.