Park Cheol-woo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, acknowledged some validity to criticisms regarding the differing intensities of investigations into Cho Kuk and Han Dong-hoon.
During a national audit of the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office on October 19, Park responded to a query from Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Dong-ah, stating, "There were aspects that were quite difficult to empathize with from the perspective of the public's legal sentiment and expectations."
Kim criticized the investigation into former Justice Minister Cho, which he claimed was swift from the search and seizure phase to indictment, even involving the FBI, while alleging that the investigation into former Minister Han was lenient, as the prosecution rejected police cooperation requests. "This is why we hear accusations of a political prosecution," he said.
Park admitted to past instances of excessive exercise of prosecutorial power, bowing his head in acknowledgment.
In response to a question from Park Eun-jung, a member of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, regarding the need for reflection on the misuse of prosecutorial power, Park stated, "Since my time as a public prosecutor, there has been an emphasis from superiors on exercising prosecutorial power in a restrained manner and in line with the public's expectations, which I have considered the correct path for a prosecutor."
He further acknowledged, "In recent years, there have been instances where the exercise of prosecutorial power has been particularly unrestrained or has raised doubts about fairness and equity." He expressed, "I recognize that there have been shortcomings in the restraint of prosecutorial power and in maintaining fairness and equity, and I feel sorry for the public."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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