SEOUL– Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol pledged Monday to take away the justice minister’s authority to direct prosecutors’ investigations if elected on March 9.
Yoon of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) said he would also strip the state Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) of its exclusive right to investigate corruption among senior public officials, and distribute the power between the prosecution, police and the CIO.
“I will realize a country ruled by law, ruled by fairness and common sense, trusted by the people of the Republic of Korea, and in the service of the people,” he said during a press conference at the PPP headquarters while announcing his campaign pledges for judicial reform.
Yoon served as the Moon Jae-in administration’s prosecutor-general before stepping down last year in protest of the government’s efforts to devolve the prosecution’s powers in the name of reform.
Yoon clashed bitterly with former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, leading her to invoke her authority to direct investigations.
“We have decided to abolish the investigative command authority of the justice minister, which allows them to direct and oversee the prosecutor-general in specific cases,” he said, claiming such authority is given to the justice minister in only two other countries — Germany and Japan — and has never been used in Germany and only once in Japan.
“A justice minister is a politician,” he said. “As I’m sure you’ve often witnessed, investigative command in specific cases is abused more often than not.”
Yoon also vowed to “normalize the incompetent and politically biased” CIO by allowing the prosecution and police to share in its authority to investigate corruption among senior public officials.
He went further to add that if the CIO, which was launched under the Moon administration, continues to be influenced by politics, he will not only demand accountability from those responsible but also push for its abolition.
The pledges come only days after Yoon raised Moon’s ire by saying he would investigate the current administration’s “deep-rooted evils” if elected.
Source: Yonhap News Agency