Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, who investigated the Ssangbangul North Korea remittance case, speaks with Baek Gwang-hyun, CEO of Baek Briefing, at the 'Debate on the Pros and Cons of Indictment Withdrawal' hosted by Representative Choi Su-jin of the People Power Party at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 24th, discussing the problems of the indictment withdrawal system and its impact on the Korean judiciary and rule of law. [Yonhap News]

Park Sang-yong, deputy chief prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, who has been recommended for disciplinary action due to alleged rule violations in connection with the Ssangbangul North Korea remittance case investigation, stated on the 24th at a debate held at the National Assembly, "I will never give up in this fight."

At the debate on the pros and cons of indictment withdrawal, hosted by Representative Choi Su-jin of the People Power Party at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, when asked by the moderator how he would respond to the Ministry of Justice's disciplinary action, Prosecutor Park replied, "(I will fight) during disciplinary proceedings, in court, and even if indicted by a special prosecutor."

Regarding the controversy that arose when the Democratic Party of Korea proposed a special prosecutor bill for alleged fabricated indictments, and whether it was intended to allow for the withdrawal of indictment in cases related to President Lee Jae-myung, he pointed out, "A special prosecutor (granted the authority to withdraw indictments by the bill) is not held accountable. They are like temporary vendors, or pop-up stores if you want to put it nicely."

He further criticized the special prosecutor bill, stating, "If a pop-up store disappears, you have no recourse even if you buy a defective product, don't you? If you cannot hold someone accountable, it's the same as not having sovereignty."

He added, "If (indictment withdrawal by a special prosecutor is institutionalized), do you think the People Power Party won't do it when they are in power?" and "This is not an issue of a specific political party. It is an issue of citizens and power."

Prosecutor General Jung Yu-mi, who had previously criticized the prosecution's 'waiver of appeal in the Daejang-dong case', also attended the debate and argued for the unreasonableness of indictment withdrawal.

Prosecutor General Jung stated, "I have never seen a prosecutor withdraw an indictment because the indictment itself was wrong," and scoffed, "You would only withdraw an indictment if, for example, a husband was indicted for murdering his wife, and the wife miraculously returned alive in the middle of the trial."

She continued, "I also feel regretful towards my juniors for not having played a role in rectifying the prosecution," and asked, "I wonder if the senior prosecutors who are now in politics and are former prosecutors feel any regret towards their juniors."