Jin Hye-won, head prosecutor at the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office, has been suspended for five months due to social media posts that supported or criticized specific political candidates and disparaged prosecutors involved in certain investigations.
On November 6, the Justice Ministry announced that it had imposed the five-month suspension on Jin in accordance with the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act.
Under the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act, disciplinary actions can include dismissal, removal, resignation, suspension, salary reduction, and reprimand. Suspension halts a prosecutor's duties and does not provide salary, with a maximum duration of six months.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office filed a disciplinary request with the Justice Ministry on the grounds that Jin had posted supportive and critical comments about specific political candidates on her personal Facebook account from March 2021 to March 2023, as well as disparaging remarks about prosecutors involved in certain investigations. The fact that these posts were reported in the media was also cited as a reason for the disciplinary action.
The Justice Ministry determined that Jin's actions constituted a violation of her duty to maintain dignity as outlined in the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act.
Previously, in 2022, Jin received a one-month suspension for mocking victims of sexual harassment in connection with the scandal involving former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.
Separately, Jin was indicted in 2023 for defaming Kim Geon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, through a Facebook post, but she was acquitted in both the first and second trials.
In 2021, ahead of the April 7 by-elections, she also faced allegations of violating the National Public Service Act and the Public Official Election Act for criticizing Oh Se-hoon, the candidate for mayor of Seoul, and Park Hyung-jun, the candidate for mayor of Busan. However, she was similarly acquitted in both trials.
The acquittals were finalized as the prosecution did not appeal, and this suspension is separate from the criminal case.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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