Cheong Wa Dae on the 26th (local time) said it was "not true" regarding Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho's offer to resign. It said it could not confirm whether an official offer to resign had been made. Although Jung appeared at the National Assembly the same day and said he intended to step down, saying "new wine should be put into new wineskins," Cheong Wa Dae denied it. With the Democratic Party of Korea convention in mid-next month approaching, some say Cheong Wa Dae is trying to refrain from commenting at all on the supplementary investigation authority, to which hardline supporters react sensitively.
An official from Cheong Wa Dae accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on his state visit to Brazil met reporters at the local press center that day and said, "It is not true that the Minister of Justice offered to resign." Asked about Jung's reported offer to resign, the official said, "There has been no confirmation of an official offer to resign by Minister Jung," adding, "Many of the things mentioned in numerous reports are not true."
Earlier, on the morning of the 27th (Korea time), Minister Jung attended a full meeting of The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and, in response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won asking, "Do you intend to offer your resignation directly when the president returns to Korea?" said, "New wine should be put into new wineskins." He went on, "When the Office of Public Prosecution and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency launch on Oct. 2, 95% of prosecutorial reform will be achieved," adding, "Since most prosecutorial reform has been completed in broad terms, now new wine should be put into new wineskins, shouldn't it? I have been thinking about this since before the announcement of the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority."
Recently, sparked by the "Jang Yoon-gi case," voices have emerged within the ruling bloc calling for allowing exceptional supplementary investigation authority. In various opinion polls, responses opposing the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority were also high. However, the Democratic Party of Korea finalized "complete abolition" as its party line and decided to handle it at the plenary session on the 30th. Minister Jung, who had expressed concern citing public harm, is said to have already conveyed his intention to resign to Cheong Wa Dae through multiple channels.
However, at the meeting that day, Minister Jung said, "This is a personal matter, but my health is very poor. I have had quite serious sleep disorders for several months," adding, "Taking that into account, I have had many discussions with people around the president about offering my resignation."
A key official in the ruling camp said, "As the responsible minister, the supplementary investigation authority issue has become an area that even the minister cannot touch at all. Isn't it a sign of great helplessness as a minister?" adding, "At the party convention, there is a mood among hardline supporters that they won't let it slide even if you touch the very first consonant of the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority, so everyone is holding their breath."
Cheong Wa Dae is also avoiding comment on Minister Jung's future. President Lee chaired a senior secretaries' meeting by video from Brasilia that day and, regarding the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, which is set to open in October, said, "It is important that the distinction between public and private and the principle of serving the public first are well observed in the public sector."
Since President Lee already pointed out on the 19th of last month that "the debate over whether to keep or abolish the supplementary investigation authority is too sensitive and a tainted topic" (Europe tour briefing), his remarks that day appear to have obliquely targeted political interests such as the ruling bloc's leadership race. However, a Cheong Wa Dae official, meeting with reporters that day, only said that Minister Jung's future was not discussed at the senior secretaries' meeting.