Jung Sung-ho, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, answered that his recent offer to resign was due to health reasons. On abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority, he emphasized that measures to protect victims must be well prepared.
The Minister appeared at the National Assembly's The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee full session that morning and said, "Personally, my health has not been good lately," adding, "In the bigger picture, most of the prosecution reform has been completed, so I think new wine should be put in new wineskins." It was effectively an offer to resign.
To People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun's question, "Isn't this an expression of helplessness over abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority?," he said, "The prosecution can no longer initiate investigations," but added, "My view is that it would be best if no harm comes to the public, and the party is reviewing mechanisms to protect victims. The Ministry of Justice is also actively offering its views."
The Minister recently conveyed his intention to resign to President Lee through an aide. There was also speculation that acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyun would soon offer to resign. With a ban on prosecutors' direct investigations adopted as the Democratic Party's party line, some analyzed that this was a message of intent to step down.
Before the Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting, when asked by reporters, "Is your offer to resign because of the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority?," the Minister said, "The president has gone abroad to work for the national interest, so such talk is not appropriate," adding, "This is not a matter of public interest."
He went on, "What matters is that the president is working hard for the national interest. The public should pay attention to that; this is not an important issue." He did not answer separate questions of "Did President Lee Jae-myung tell you anything in particular?" and "Do you plan to offer your resignation when the president returns from his trip?"
The People Power Party is going on the offensive, using the Minister's resignation as leverage. Kim Min-su, a supreme council member of the People Power Party, said, "This is a reform that cannot persuade even the one Ministry of Justice Minister they appointed," adding, "The supplementary investigation authority is not the prosecution's power but a safety device to correct shoddy investigations and take another look at wrongly harmed victims."