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| Supreme Prosecutions Office/ Yonhap |
By Kim Se-jeong
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae rejected Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's proposal made Wednesday to create an "independent" investigation team to handle a case involving one of Yoon's key aides and a now fired TV reporter, adding another layer of tension to their already rocky relationship.
"I don't consider his proposal as him implementing my order," Choo said in a statement, adding, "His proposal suggests either changing or replacing investigators," something she apparently doesn't want to happen.
Breaking almost six days of silence, Yoon, proposed recusing himself from the ongoing investigation until its end, and to appoint a senior prosecutor to oversee the probe in order to guarantee the freedom of the investigating team.
"The decision was made to respect the justice minister's command and the opinions of those inside and outside the prosecution," the Supreme Prosecutors' Office said. Observers watching the recent clash viewed Yoon's move as a diplomatic gesture to avoid a head-on clash with the minister.
On Wednesday morning, Choo sent an ultimatum to Yoon, ordering him to provide an answer to her by Thursday morning.
"I will wait for an answer from the prosecutor general until 10 a.m. Thursday," she wrote in a statement released Wednesday during her summer vacation.
The spotlight is once again on Yoon and how he will react to the overt pressure from the minister.
The latest development is part of the ongoing clash between the two. At the heart of the latest round of tension was the case involving the senior prosecutor who is a close aide of Yoon.
The prosecutor general viewed the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's investigation into the case as a deliberate, politically-motivated one with the goal of damaging him. He pushed to stop it by asking the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to convene an expert panel to review the validity of the probe.
Choo, conversely, saw Yoon as attempting to stop the investigation as a favor to his aide. On July 2, Choo ordered Yoon to stop seeking the review, which he did immediately, and to give the investigators full freedom.
The prosecutor general called a meeting with senior prosecutors from across the country Friday, during which the majority voiced opposition to Choo's moves.
On Monday, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office released an official statement containing the conclusions drawn at the meeting.
Choo and Yoon have not been on good terms from the minister's first day in office.
Yoon, who was inaugurated last year, was President Moon's pick for the role of prosecutor general, however, he quickly became a headache for Moon as he ordered investigations into the President's close aides.
He ordered an investigation into Cho Kuk, the former justice minister and a confidante of Moon, who spearheaded prosecutorial reform, over corruption allegations involving his family members. Cho resigned from the post late last year and he and his wife are currently on trial.
Choo who was also appointed by President Moon came into office in January and started to pressure Yoon. The minister, against Yoon's wishes, restructured the prosecutor's office and reassigned people ― putting prosecutors who supported her in higher positions.
The ongoing tension poses a challenge to Moon's long drive for prosecutorial reform. For a long time in Korea, prosecutors were privileged and frequently embroiled in claims of corruption that also involved politicians.
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