He said, "It's not an inspection to punish." The Great Prosecutor who tried to discipline the 'Han Myung-sook investigation team'

“It was not a joint inspection to punish and discipline anyone.”

Yesterday (14th), Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye, who directly briefed the results of the joint investigation by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the investigation process of former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook, spoke in front of reporters while it was being broadcast live on YouTube.

In the case of ex-Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook receiving fraudulent money from a businessman, the Supreme Court upheld a conviction, and in the course of the investigation, the prosecution was acquitted of allegations that prosecutors ordered perjury to inmates to harm former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook. Despite the loss, it seemed to be a remark conscious of criticism that the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutor's Office were trying to 'save Han Myung-suk' through a joint inspection.

They argued that the Joint Inspection was not “to punish and discipline” prosecutors in the investigation team in the case of Han Myung-sook, just to discover the problems of past practices and provide institutional alternatives to create “an opportunity to move forward to a new future prosecution”.

He said, "It's not an inspection to punish or punish."

Swordsman who tried to punish

However, contrary to what Minister Park Bum-gye said, it was confirmed that the Supreme Prosecutor's Office tried to discipline the prosecutors of the investigation team in the case of Han Myung-sook. Prosecutors A and B, who participated in the investigation team at the time, called the inmates to the prosecutor's office and allowed them to eat sushi, etc. It was requested by the Supreme Prosecutor's Inspection Committee. As it was 10 years ago, the statute of limitations for disciplinary action has passed, but in the case of the 'warning of the Prosecutor General', it is known that they argued to the effect that it is a disposition that can be taken regardless of the statute of limitations. To this end, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office's Inspection Committee, which includes outsiders, was held several times until last week, but in the end, the Inspection Committee concluded that the charges against Prosecutor A were not recognized and that Prosecutor B should be sent regardless.

In the end, the Supreme Prosecutor's Office did not discipline the prosecutors of the investigation team Han Myung-sook, but failed in trying to discipline them. This is the reason why there is no choice but to raise controversy over whether the statement that Minister Park Bum-gye, as soon as Minister Park Bum-gye started at a briefing on the joint inspection yesterday, was a lie, "It was not a joint inspection to punish and discipline anyone." After trying to 'punish or discipline someone' and fail, is it not possible to say, "I didn't mean to punish or discipline someone"? In this way, can a prosecutor who prosecuted someone demanding criminal punishment be able to say, "I didn't mean to punish the accused" after being acquitted in court? That's an absurd claim.

It's not that I didn't punish, it's that I didn't...

Park Bum-gye "It's not against the rules"

Minister Park Bum-gye insisted that his remarks were "not against the rules."

In fact, before the report of ≪SBS 8 News≫ yesterday, I asked the Ministry of Justice several times for a position on the investigation team's disciplinary action, but I did not receive an answer.

So this morning, when I asked Minister Park Beom-gye, who was going to work at the Ministry of Justice in Gwacheon, 'Isn't it contradictory to say that it was not a joint inspection that tried to discipline the prosecutors of the investigation team Han Myung-sook?

"(Request for disciplinary action) Since it is a process that the Supreme Prosecutor's Office does on its own, I can't say about the conclusion. The action that took into account the statute of limitations for disciplinary action was taken by the Supreme Prosecutor's Office itself, and that's why... I said that I agree with the conclusion about that. It's not a big contradiction with the fact that it's the future, not the past."

Minister Park Bum-gye said that the request for disciplinary action against the prosecutors in the investigation team Han Myung-sook was made by the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, not the Ministry of Justice, and that the measures were taken in consideration of the statute of limitations for disciplinary action by the Supreme Prosecutor's Office itself, and that he did not attempt disciplinary action because he agreed to the conclusion. interpreted as meaning.

In short, since the Supreme Prosecutor's Office's own attempt and disciplinary action failed and the Justice Department only accepted the result of 'discipline failure', it is an argument that the Minister of Justice never tried to "punish or discipline".

However, what Minister Park Bum-gye announced yesterday was the result of a 'joint inspection' conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Justice and the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

While the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutor's Office were conducting the inspection together, the Supreme Prosecutor, one of the main actors of the joint inspection, tried to discipline with the results of the inspection. I wonder if I can go.

Minister Park Bum-gye had no intention of “punishing or disciplinary action,” but does this mean that the Supreme Prosecutor, who was conducting joint inspection with the Ministry of Justice under the direction of Minister Park Bum-gye, tried to disciplinary itself against Minister Park’s will and failed, but failed?

I'm not sure how much to believe that the Supreme Prosecutor's Office tried to discipline itself against the will of the Minister of Justice, who was passionate enough to even brief himself on the case.

What is the real reason for digging and selling the 'Han Myung-sook case'?

It is good to reflect on the human rights violations of past investigation practices and come up with alternatives. However, it is supposed to be the case of Han Myung-sook, the case in which the incumbent president once said "not guilty in the court of history" and even after the Supreme Court's final decision, several powerful people in the ruling party claim that it was fabricated, and the Minister of Justice unusually exercised the power of investigation and led the investigation team It is not easy to accept purely as a task to present an alternative for the "future of the prosecution" to investigate the case in which the prosecution was eventually acquitted even though they were instructed to investigate the allegations of perjury by prosecutors.

In particular, despite the fact that the Supreme Prosecutor's Office tried to discipline the prosecutors of the investigation team Han Myung-sook based on the results of the joint inspection between the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Minister of Justice said, "It was not a joint inspection to punish or discipline anyone. I see it. Among the working-level officials who participated in this joint inspection, there must be people who worked hard with good intentions to improve the prosecution's direct investigation practices. I don't know if Minister Park Beom-gye's assertion, "It's not against the law," is undermining their efforts.