Chief Justice Quips Anger Prosecutors

Prosecutor-general Choung Sang-myoung expressed regret Thursday over Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee Yong-hun’s derogatory remarks on prosecutors and lawyers’ associations during his recent tour to local courts. In this regard, the Korean Bar Association (KBA) demanded Lee to step down voluntarily.

“People may regard Lee’s remark as his distrust in the function and role of the prosecutors who are responsible for maintaining law and order and ensuring human rights of the people in accordance to the Constitution and law,” Choung said in a writing titled, “Prosecutors’ Stance against the Chief Justice’s Remark.”

It’s the first time for a prosecutor general to publicly criticize remarks of a Supreme Court chief justice.

Choung also sent a command letter to all the prosecutors and employees in the country by e-mail. Choung stressed the chief justice’s following remarks were inappropriate: “Throw away all the investigation records conducted by prosecutors. A prosecutors’ interrogation is carried out in a closet. Prosecutors do nothing besides submitting investigation records and are not interested in proving the accused guilty.”

“People may misunderstand that the record of prosecutors’ questioning should be disregarded, even if it is carried out in a lawful manner by legitimate prosecutors who carry out investigation according to the Constitution and law,” Choung said in the letter in regard to the comment, “Throw away all the investigations.”

In the meantime, Cheon Gi-heung, the chairman of the KBA, issued a statement on the same day and urged the chief justice to withdraw from his post immediately.

“Such remarks of Lee may destroy the order of the entire legal circle like all the investigation records by the prosecution should be thrown away and documents of lawyers are just play of words in order to deceive people,” Cheon said in the statement. “I cannot stop having a doubt about Lee’s qualification and ability to lead the judicature as its head.”

However, the Office of Court Administration (OCA) refuted such accusation on Lee. “Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee was emphasizing the importance court testimony as he believes court testimony is most crucial in revealing truth of court cases,” the OCA said in a statement titled, “In regarding to the statement of the KBA.” “We feel regret that the KBA issued the statement despite our repeated explanation over the actual intention and object of Lee’s remarks.”

jefflee@donga.com needjung@donga.com