Prosecutor Jeong Yu-mi, who was effectively demoted to a high-ranking prosecutor position, leaves the Seoul Administrative Court after attending the first trial on the cancellation of her personnel order on June 11. [Photo=Yonhap]
Prosecutor Jeong Yu-mi, who faced an effective demotion after criticizing the abandonment of the Daejangdong appeal, won her lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice regarding her personnel decision.
On June 11, the Seoul Administrative Court's Administrative Division 5, led by Judge Lee Jeong-won, ruled in favor of Jeong in her lawsuit against Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho.
The court stated, "Jeong's transfer was an unusual personnel action, and considering past practices, it appears that the Minister of Justice induced her to resign voluntarily," adding that the ministry abused its discretion in this case.
Previously, Jeong was transferred to the Daejeon High Prosecutor's Office in December 2022 during a reshuffle of senior prosecutors. This move effectively demoted her from a high prosecutor position to a deputy or chief prosecutor role, leading to perceptions in the legal community that it was a punitive measure.
Jeong has been vocal on issues such as the separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers, the abolition of the prosecution office, and the abandonment of the Daejangdong appeal.
The day after the personnel announcement, Jeong filed a lawsuit against Minister Jeong along with a request for a stay of execution. The court, however, denied her request for a stay.
In April, the Ministry of Justice established a regulation limiting the tenure of research fellows at the Judicial Research and Training Institute to one year, providing a basis for demotion.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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