Prosecutor General acting head Noh Man-seok heading to work. Yonhap News. In relation to the prosecution's decision to waive appeals in the Daejang-dong development corruption case, prosecutors at the field level have submitted a statement demanding a detailed explanation from Noh Man-seok, acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class of 29), according to reports by media outlets including Yonhap News. 

According to a compilation of media reports on the 10th, a statement titled "Request for Additional Explanation to the Acting Prosecutor General" was posted on the prosecution's internal network, E-Pros, under the names of 18 prosecutors general, including Park Jae-eok, Prosecutor General of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, who is a classmate of Acting Prosecutor General Noh, as well as Park Hyun-jun, Prosecutor General of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office; Park Young-bin, Prosecutor General of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office; Park Hyun-cheol, Prosecutor General of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office; Lim Seung-cheol, Prosecutor General of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office; and Kim Chang-jin, Prosecutor General of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office. 

It is highly unusual for prosecutors general to collectively issue a statement to the leadership of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office under their joint names.

In their collective statement, the prosecutors general stated, "We, the prosecutors general responsible for maintaining public prosecutions at the field prosecution offices, once again request a detailed explanation from the acting Prosecutor General regarding the circumstances and legal grounds leading to the order to waive appeals." They added, "The acting Prosecutor General's order to waive appeals against the first-instance acquittal of some charges in the Daejang-dong development corruption suspicion case has caused significant controversy not only within the prosecution but across the entire nation."

They further pointed out, "The Prosecutor General of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office clearly had an opinion to appeal, but ultimately instructed the trial team to waive the appeal, respecting the order of the acting Prosecutor General. He stated his position that he would take responsibility and resign as he could not pursue his opinion to appeal with the acting Prosecutor General."

These prosecutors general raised concerns, stating, "On the other hand, according to the statement distributed by the acting Prosecutor General yesterday, he reported the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's opinion to appeal, consulted with the Ministry of Justice's opinion, and comprehensively considered the purpose and content of the ruling, appeal standards, and the progress of the case, concluding that it was appropriate not to file an appeal." They questioned, "This implies that the order to waive the appeal was given after careful consideration and consultation with the Prosecutor General of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office under the responsibility of the acting Prosecutor General."

The prosecutors general requested additional explanation from Acting Prosecutor General Noh, stating, "The position stated by the acting Prosecutor General does not include any specific details of the circumstances or legal reasons for waiving the appeal, which is incomprehensible."

In response, when asked by reporters on his way to work whether he had received an order from the Minister and Vice Minister of Justice to waive the appeal, Acting Prosecutor General Noh avoided a direct answer, saying, "I will tell you next time."

Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho also stated in relation to the prosecution's "waiver of appeal in the Daejang-dong case" that "we determined there were no issues even without an appeal" and "we conveyed our opinion to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to make a careful decision considering various circumstances."

When asked in a door-stepping (brief Q&A) session on his way to work whether the Ministry of Justice had issued instructions or guidelines to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Minister Chung denied it, saying, "We receive various reports, but we have not provided any guidelines."

He did not provide further specific comments on the legal issues regarding the not-guilty judgments on charges such as breach of trust and bribery under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, including the reasons for not needing an appeal.

Following the prosecution's waiver of appeal, complaints have already been filed with the police by Garo Sero Institute and the Committee for the People's Livelihood against Minister Chung and others, on suspicion of abuse of power regarding the circumstances and process.

Regarding the resignation expressed by Prosecutor General Jung Jin-woo of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Minister Chung expressed his regret, saying, "The position of the Prosecutor General of the Central District Prosecutors' Office is not a trivial one."

When asked about the connection between the waiver of appeal in the main Daejang-dong case and President Lee Jae-myung's trial, he drew a line, saying, "What does this case have to do with President Lee? President Lee was indicted separately and his trial is currently suspended."

Editorial Department 

Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho.