Posted November. 04, 2002 22:52,
Prosecutor-General Lee Myung-jae tendered his resignation yesterday taking the full responsibility for the recent death of a murder suspect during questioning by prosecution investigators.
But the political sector has demanded that the Justice Minister step down, triggering a stir.
In response, Park Sun-sook, presidential press secretary said that it was not appropriate to make comment at this time, when the prosecution was investigating the matter. The Presidential office of Chung Wa Dae plans to accept the resignation of the nation`s top prosecutor.
A high-ranking official of the Chung Wa Dae did not rule out the possibility of replacing the Justice Minister, saying that the Chung Wa Dae would take full consideration before making a judgement.
The Grand National Party (GNP), however, criticized that although President Kim Dae-jung received the Novel Peace Prize for his contribution to the improvement of human rights status in Korea, he has, in fact, turned a cold shoulder to torture caused from tortures.
The Supreme Public Prosecutor`s Office (SPPO) announced yesterday that Prosecutor-General Lee took the full responsibility for the unprecedented tragic death in the prosecution`s history and submitted his resignation. Lee handed over his resignation to Justice Minister Kim Jung-gil and appointed Kim Hak-jae, senior prosecutor of the SPPO, as acting Prosecutor-General.
Lee said in a statement that all the suspicions regarding the murder suspect`s death during interrogation have unfortunately turned out to be true and that he would take complete responsibility as top prosecutor
The top prosecutor said that the prosecution will get to the bottom of the case and take stern disciplinary action against all those responsible.
Despite the resignation of the top prosecutor, the political sector urges President Kim to make an official apology and to punish those responsible.
Suh Chugn-won, the chairman of the GNP said at a meeting that Justice Minister should be replaced and those responsible should be brought to justice, adding that the government should dismiss the chief of the National Intelligence Service and Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, holding them accountable for illegal eavesdropping, deaths from illegal tortures and the death of an innocent civilians killed by a policeman.
Roh Moo-hyun, the standard bearer of the Millennium Democratic Party(MDP), also told reporters yesterday that the chief prosecutor of the Seoul District Prosecutor`s Office(SDPO), the Prosecutor-General and Justice Minister should step down. He went as far as to urge President Kim to apologize the public for the case.
If President Kim accepts the resignation of Prosecutor-General Lee in accordance with the demand from political parties, the prosecution is expected to be embroiled in a crisis as the political sector strongly calls for the replacement of Justice Minister and Kim Jin-hwan, Chief Prosecutor of the SDPO.