Moon accepts prosecutor general’s resignation

President Moon Jae-in accepted the resignation of Prosecutor-General Kim Oh-soo.

In a written briefing Friday, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mi said, “President Moon accepted the resignation as it is difficult to procrastinate.“ 

Moon rejected the resignation of the prosecutor general once, but Kim expressed his resignation again to “take responsibility”, the presidential office said. Kim submitted his resignation after failing to block the passage of bills to overhaul the prosecution.

But the president refused to accept the resignation of other senior prosecutors as he was concerned about the damage to the public “due to a vacuum” in the prosecution service.

Moon told Deputy Prosecutor General Park Sung-jin and other senior prosecutors to fulfill their responsibilities.

On April 17, Prosecutor General Kim asked for a meeting with President Moon to convey his objection to the Democratic Party’s push for bills to strip the prosecution power. But, Cheong Wa Dae did not accept it and he offered his resignation. Moon had the meeting with him the next day and refused to accept his resignation.

Five days later, when the ruling and opposition parties agreed on a plan to pass the bill, mediated by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, Kim delivered a second resignation letter through Justice Minister Park Beom-kye and has since refused to work.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)