Jung Sung-ho: "It Is Inappropriate for President Lee's Trial to Be Resumed Under Government Direction"

[Financial News] Jung Sung-ho, Minister of Justice, stated that it would not be appropriate for the government to direct the resumption of the suspended trial of President Lee Jae Myung.
During a comprehensive audit by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on the 30th, Minister Jung was asked by Kwak Kyu-taek of the People Power Party, "Are you willing to direct the prosecution to request the court to resume President Lee's trial?" Jung responded, "I do not issue directives on specific cases," and added, "If such direction were to be given, it would have to be through the acting Prosecutor General of South Korea, which does not seem appropriate."
He further remarked, "It would be inappropriate for the Minister of Justice to order the resumption of a trial that was suspended by the presiding judge based on the Constitution and law, especially through direct intervention in a specific case."
When Representative Kwak pointed out the lack of immediate appeal by the prosecution regarding the court's decision to revoke the arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Jung explained, "This was inconsistent with established prosecutorial practices and was due to differences in legal interpretation."
Representative Kwak also asked for Jung's opinion as the relevant minister on the possibility of President Lee serving consecutive terms if Article 128(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea were amended.
In response, Jung stated, "It is generally accepted that such amendments do not apply to the sitting president." When Kwak pressed further, asking whether a constitutional amendment during the current administration would not apply to President Lee, Jung replied, "That is the conventional interpretation."

jisseo@fnnews.com Seo Min-ji Reporter