Justice Minister Takes Fall for Moon's Hounding of Chief Prosecutor

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae on Wednesday took the fall for the escalating farce of the government's hounding of Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl, even as President Moon Jae-in approved Yoon's suspension.

The latest twist in the saga followed a marathon meeting by a Justice Ministry disciplinary committee that had been reduced to the bare quorum of four members, who recommended Yoon's suspension for two months over allegations of improper contacts with the press, snooping on judges in controversial cases and failing to maintain political neutrality.

Moon that same evening approved the suspension, but the justice minister, who had been tasked with bringing it about to get Yoon out of the way of prosecution reforms, then also resigned, possibly to shield Moon himself from the fallout of the debacle.

Moon said he thinks "highly" of her resignation, so this is likely to be the end for yet another justice minister after a short ignoble stint in office following her fly-by-night predecessor Cho Kuk. A ruling party source said, "Cheong Wa Dae decided to replace Choo as soon as she tendered her resignation after the decision was made to discipline Yoon."

The source said possible candidates are Minjoo Party lawmaker So Byung-chul or recently appointed Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu. "So is a former prosecutor who is considered as a potential choice to minimize the backlash of disciplining Yoon."

Whereas Lee, who had been parachuted in by Moon only two weeks ago to head the disciplinary committee after his predecessor resigned in disgust, "would demonstrate the administration's will to push ahead with reforms and prepare for the legal battle with the prosecutor-general."

Yoon himself vowed to fight on, saying he will take immediate legal steps to overturn his suspension, regardless of his accuser's resignation.

Observers speculate that the idea was to get rid of both Choo and Yoon and bury the whole ugly feud by betting on the public's short memory. The president on Wednesday expressed regret at Yoon's suspension and urged to the prosecution to "reform itself."

But if so, Yoon is not playing along. A spokesman for the prosecutor-general said Yoon hopes to "correct wrongs according to a legal and constitutional process." He also criticized the decision by the disciplinary committee as "illegal and unjust" and "aimed at driving out the prosecutor-general before his constitutionally guaranteed term ends" with "unsubstantiated claims."

His only defense against the suspension in the short term is another injunction like the one he took out when Choo tried to suspend him earlier this month. A proper lawsuit will take months and might not conclude until his two-year term ends next July. To suspend his suspension again, Yoon needs to prove that it would do him "irreparable damage."

Many believe that Yoon is being hounded out of office because his investigations of corruption cases have been getting too close to cronies of the president.

In a major setback for Yoon, the ruling party last week railroaded a law through the National Assembly that sets up a new compliant body tasked with investigating corruption among high officials, which could snatch these probes from the prosecutor-general's hands. There are rumors that Yoon will be the body's first target.

Meanwhile, no fewer than nine former prosecutors general in a statement on Wednesday said the disciplinary committee's decision leaves a "major stain" on the rule of law in Korea.