Seoul – The Ministry of Justice in South Korea announced on Friday that it will not appeal a recent court decision which overturned a disciplinary suspension imposed on President Yoon Suk Yeol when he was serving as the prosecutor general in 2020.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision not to appeal stems from the assessment that there are no grounds for an appeal based on violations of the Constitution, laws, orders, and rules. This follows the verdict from the Seoul High Court on December 19, which favored President Yoon.
The case dates back to December 2020, when the justice ministry, then led by Minister Choo Mi-ae, suspended Yoon for two months. The suspension was based on accusations of violating political neutrality, obstructing a politically sensitive investigation, and other misconduct.
However, in December 2021, the Seoul Administrative Court initially dismissed Yoon's administrative suit challenging the disciplinary action. Subsequently, the Seoul High Court overturned this 2021 decision, ruling in Yoon's favor. The court declared that the disciplinary action was illegal, citing violations of the constitutional principle of due process and relevant laws.