Backbiting of senior prosecutor

Shortly before a reshuffle of six senior prosecutors on Jan. 28, then head of the Seoul Southern District Public Prosecutors’ Office Nam Ki-choon abruptly resigned from his post after leaving a message on an internal company network saying, “My time has finally come.” After his resignation, rumors flew of the justice minister’s involvement in probes into Hanwha Group’s alleged slush funds, an impending punishment of Nam, and discord between the justice minister and the prosecutor-general. The Justice Ministry brushed off the allegations but Nam’s comments on his resignation gave credibility to the rumors.

Nam said in an interview, “It was more difficult than investigating an incumbent president.” He also implied that the government or ministry stepped in to protect Hanwha by saying, “The conglomerate astutely impeded investigations and the Justice Ministry made us exhausted.” On a report that the opinion of Prosecutor-General Kim Jun-kyu was not reflected in the reshuffle of senior prosecutors, Kim amplified the rumor of disharmony with the ministry, saying, “The situation is similar to that (in the novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” in which) Zhang Fei collapsed and Zhuge Lian left.” Kim apparently likened Nam to Zhang Fei to express regret.

Nam is considered a man of strong conviction among prosecutors, being directly and indirectly involved in indictments of Ahn Hee-jung, a political heavyweight under the former Roh Moo-hyun administration and incumbent governor of South Chungcheong Province; Yeo Taek-soo in 2003 for amassing illegal funds for the 2003 presidential race; Park Jie-won, floor leader of main opposition Democratic Party, for receiving bribes from Hyundai Group the same year; Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun in 2004; and Taekwang Group Chairman Lee Ho-jin last month. If his request for arrest warrants was refused, he continuously asked for them from the courts. Some say Nam inherited his strong conviction and tenaciousness from his ancestors, one of whom was Nam Jong-sam, a ranking government official at the end of the Joseon Dynasty who died in the crackdown on Catholics.

Several rejections of his arrest warrant requests for those involved in the Hanwha scandal, however, drew criticism that he was seeking excessive investigations. Some blast Nam for his stubbornness and his abrupt resignation has also elicited additional criticism. Park Yong-seok, new deputy chief of the Supreme Prosecutors` Office, said, “An excessive sense of justice makes people cruel.” The chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Han Sang-dae said, “Investigation methods should change in line with the times.” The rumor of the Justice Ministry’s involvement in the investigation, however, has left a bitter taste. Under the law governing prosecutors, the justice minister is banned from controlling prosecutors. Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam needs to give an explanation on this.

Editorial Writer Yook Jeong-soo (sooya@donga.com)