People Power Party to file complaint against acting Prosecutor General over disciplinary action

South Korea's conservative People Power Party announced on May 29 that it will file a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) against acting Prosecutor General Gu Ja-hyun. The party accuses Gu of abuse of power and dereliction of duty.

The complaint stems from Gu's request for disciplinary action against Park Sang-yong, a deputy prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office who investigated the Ssangbangul North Korea remittance case. Joo Jin-woo, head of the party's special committee to block the prosecution indictment cancellation special bill, stated at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that Gu "ran away" when they attempted to request a halt to Park's disciplinary proceedings.

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We came here to request a halt to Prosecutor Park's disciplinary action, but Acting Prosecutor General Gu ran away. We will hold him strongly legally responsible.

Joo alleged that Gu's request for Park's disciplinary action was an attempt to fabricate a "forced justification" for dropping charges against Lee Jae-myung, a prominent opposition figure. "The acting prosecutor general, who should be preventing heinous crimes, has instead become an accomplice in dropping indictments," Joo claimed, demanding Gu's immediate resignation.

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The acting prosecutor general, who should be preventing heinous crimes, has instead become an accomplice in dropping indictments.

Park Sang-yong is accused of improperly seeking a confession from Lee Hwa-young, former vice governor of Gyeonggi Province, and Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangul Group, during the investigation into the Ssangbangul case. Specifically, he allegedly offered alcohol and food to the suspects on May 17, 2023, while trying to elicit statements suggesting Lee Jae-myung's involvement in the North Korea remittances. Park denies all allegations.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office had previously requested a two-month suspension for Park from the Ministry of Justice, citing reasons such as improperly demanding a confession through his lawyer in another case. This disciplinary action is considered severe. The People Power Party urged the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution service to cease any further disciplinary attempts against Park and called on the CIO and the National Investigation Headquarters to promptly process cases involving 31 witnesses subpoenaed by the Democratic Party.

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Gu's abuse of disciplinary authority and request rights constitutes abuse of power, and failing to protect a prosecutor who stood against power and handing him over to the powerful is dereliction of duty.