Park Sang-yong, a deputy chief prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office who investigated the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case, speaks to reporters while attending a disciplinary review by the Ministry of Justice’s Inspection Committee at the Government Complex Gwacheon on the 13th. The committee's review for the day included not only issues raised during the Ssangbangwool investigation but also allegations regarding the prosecutor posting on Facebook during work hours and attending a People Power Party hearing without prior written authorization. [Photo = Yonhap News]Park Sang-yong, a deputy chief prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office who is facing disciplinary action for alleged regulation violations during the investigation of the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case, appeared before the Ministry of Justice's Inspection Committee on the 13th.

The Ministry of Justice convened the inspection committee at 2 p.m. that day, requiring Prosecutor Park to provide explanations regarding six allegations of misconduct, including coercive investigation tactics, the use of Facebook during work hours, and his attendance at a solo hearing held by the People Power Party.

It is reported that during the committee meeting, Prosecutor Park argued, "The request for disciplinary action distorts the facts and applies regulations arbitrarily," and asserted, "I have done nothing wrong in the course of the investigation."

Regarding the 21 Facebook posts made during work hours, which were included as grounds for disciplinary action, he countered that "they were content refuting claims that differed from the facts regarding the investigation at the time, and thus were work-related," adding, "I wrote the posts at home and uploaded them to Facebook after seeking advice from the investigation team."

A 30-minute audio recording, exposed by Seo Min-seok—the lawyer who represented former Gyeonggi Province Peace Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young—last March, was also played at the request of Prosecutor Park.

While lawyer Seo claims that there were attempts at plea bargaining and forced false testimonies to pin the blame on President Lee Jae-myung, Prosecutor Park maintains that his remarks were intended to reject requests for leniency made by Seo first.

Although Prosecutor Park repeatedly requested a postponement, claiming he "lacked sufficient time to prepare for the inspection committee," the committee members reportedly did not grant his request.

After the committee session concluded around 4:30 p.m., Prosecutor Park met with reporters and raised his voice, saying, "They essentially told me to 'speak if I have something to say,' so I probably spoke for less than 10 minutes in total." He added, "The prosecutors in charge of the inspection didn't offer any rebuttal at all, which made me wonder if the outcome had already been decided."

He continued, "I even doubt whether the committee members are fully aware of the details for which disciplinary action was requested," and stated, "The Ministry of Justice's Inspection Division must be held accountable for the distortion of procedures. It is a clear crime."

Upon his arrival, Prosecutor Park also criticized the Ministry of Justice's recent appointment of additional inspection committee members, calling it "an act similar to a player replacing a referee or a prosecutor replacing a judge in a trial," and labeling it "highly inappropriate."

The People Power Party also raised issues regarding the fairness of the proceedings, noting that five new members had been appointed to the committee ahead of the hearing.

Prosecutor Park Sang-yong answering questions from reporters [Photo = Yonhap News]In April, the Ministry of Justice suspended Prosecutor Park from duty, citing breaches of professional obligations during the North Korea remittance investigation and remarks or behavior that cast doubt on the fairness of the investigation.

The initial two-month suspension period was later extended to remain in effect "until further notice."

Subsequently, in May, following a review by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Committee, the office requested that the Ministry of Justice impose a heavy disciplinary sanction of two months' suspension on Prosecutor Park.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office determined that during the Ssangbangwool investigation, Prosecutor Park had pressured the defense counsel of former Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young for a confession by mentioning investigations into other cases, failed to complete investigation records while questioning inmates, and provided unauthorized access to outside food and visitation privileges without justifiable grounds.

However, regarding the so-called "salmon and alcohol party" allegations, the part about failing to prevent the smuggling and provision of alcohol due to neglect of management was not included as a disciplinary ground, out of respect for the findings of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Committee.

Prosecutor Park was also inspected regarding his attendance and statements at the "Hearing on the Truth of the Democratic Party's Cancellation of Indictment and Trial Manipulation," which was conducted solely by the People Power Party.

In relation to this, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office reportedly finished its inspection after summoning and questioning Prosecutor Park last month, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is understood to have requested additional disciplinary action based on his Facebook posts during work hours and his attendance at the People Power Party hearing without written approval from his superiors.

The Inspection Committee is scheduled to deliberate on both matters, review the necessity and appropriate level of disciplinary action, and issue a recommendation.

If the committee recommends disciplinary action, the final level of sanction will be decided by the Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho. The Minister of Justice may also request additional disciplinary actions.

There are five types of disciplinary actions for prosecutors: dismissal, discharge, suspension, salary reduction, and reprimand. A suspension or higher is typically classified as a heavy disciplinary measure.

It is reported that the Ministry of Justice’s Inspection Committee also recently recommended a "reprimand" following a review last month concerning an incident where trial prosecutors requested the recusal of the presiding judge and walked out during the trial regarding the "alleged perjury at the alcohol party" involving former Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young.

Previously, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Committee had concluded in April that the matter did not warrant disciplinary action.

Prosecutor Park Sang-yong attending the Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee [Photo = Yonhap News]