Blue House Responds to Yoo Si-min's Criticism of President's Prosecutorial Reform Plans

The Blue House expressed regret on September 24 over Yoo Si-min's criticism of President Lee Jae-myung's plans for prosecutorial reform, stating that Yoo distorted the president's intentions.

In a media announcement, the Blue House said, "We are currently verifying the facts regarding the ongoing baseless accusations." However, regarding reports that legal action against Yoo is being considered, they clarified, "No decision has been made on whether to pursue legal action." This suggests that while they are verifying the facts, it should not be interpreted as a confirmation of legal measures.

Previously, on September 22, Yoo claimed in an interview with the Media Today YouTube channel that the prosecutorial reform plans outlined by President Lee during a press conference on September 18 were fundamentally different from what the public and the Democratic Party had expected. He stated, "The reform that the president envisions is completely different from what we thought, what the Democratic Party's position is, and what was promised during the presidential campaign."

Yoo further criticized, saying, "The president has deceived the public until now," and expressed shock at the assertion that separating the investigative and prosecutorial functions within the Ministry of Justice was the maximum extent of prosecutorial reform.

During the press conference on September 18, President Lee explained that the goal of prosecutorial reform is to separate investigation from prosecution, detailing that the original plan involved distinguishing between prosecutors responsible for investigations and those for prosecutions, with separate entities for each within the Ministry of Justice. He added that the current reform proposals are progressing beyond that, mentioning plans to eliminate direct investigative powers of prosecutors and place investigative agencies under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.