Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho submitted his resignation, citing health reasons and the completion of key judicial reform legislation. Jeong, who has served as the first Justice Minister under the Lee Jae-myung administration for the past year, expressed his intention to return to the National Assembly to support the success of the Democratic Party and the government.
According to legal sources on August 19, Jeong announced on his Facebook page the night before, "I submitted my resignation due to health reasons and because the major legislation related to judicial reform has been completed."
He further stated, "I believe it is desirable for the new criminal justice system to be completed under new leadership," clearly indicating his intention to resign.
Regarding his future plans after stepping down, he confirmed his return to the National Assembly. He said, "I will do my best to contribute to the success of the people's sovereignty government and, ultimately, the success of South Korea and its citizens," adding, "I will help build a Democratic Party that is trusted by the public and firmly supports the government."
In his statement, Jeong also emphasized the direction of future judicial reforms. He advised, "Just as a government cannot exist apart from public sentiment, reforms that do not gain the hearts of the sovereign people are also unlikely to be sustainable."
He called for a practical and humble response to concerns surrounding the upcoming amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act. Jeong noted, "Many citizens, including experts, the media, and crime victims, are worried," and stressed that anticipated errors and side effects should be corrected before implementation, while issues discovered post-implementation should be addressed promptly and humbly rather than met with hostility.
He added, "The National Assembly and the government are not the owners of the criminal justice system and must bear infinite responsibility for the lives of the people," pledging to actively ensure that there are no harms to the public.
Reflecting on his year-long tenure, Jeong also shared his thoughts and requests regarding overall legal administration. He mentioned efforts to maintain national legal order in areas such as corrections, immigration, crime prevention, and human rights, stating, "A society without legal order is like a sandcastle," and encouraged Ministry staff to approach their work with pride and confidence.
Finally, Jeong concluded his statement by expressing hope that the quicker new systems are established, the faster the new leadership will stabilize and implement reforms.
The Blue House, which had initially attempted to dissuade Jeong from resigning, confirmed that after he made his resignation clear, they requested him to remain in office until a successor is appointed.
The resignation of a cabinet member must go through a recommendation process by the Ministry of Personnel Management and receive final approval from the President. Once the President accepts the resignation, the Ministry of Justice will transition to an acting leadership under Lee Jin-soo.
Amid speculation about the next Justice Minister, names such as Democratic Party lawmakers Park Kyun-taek and Lee Geon-tae, who represented the President in legal matters, are being discussed.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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