South Korea's justice minister leaves post, warns of abuse of power

South Korean Justice Minister Park Seong-jae said at a farewell ceremony held at the Government Complex Gwacheon on the 5th that "unscrupulous use of institutional authority without consultation or deliberation in the name of the will of the majority is a violation of true democracy."
"This is completely contrary to the principle of the prosecution and police," he said, sounding a warning against unlimited use of power. Park pointed out that since the adjustment of investigative powers between the prosecution and police, delays in investigations and trials have caused great inconvenience to the public.
He emphasized that "the urgent task is to address issues such as the passing of cases between investigative agencies, unclear responsibility, and cutting corners and delays in investigations."
Furthermore, "The law is not a weapon for the powerful majority to exercise their power, but a weapon for the social structure that has diverse opinions.
He stated his opinion that the law must be a means to bring members together for discussion, persuasion, and deliberation. He expressed his view that the law must be a true law that realizes the protection of human rights and social justice, not a "rule by law" based on the formal application of the law.
While acknowledging the changes in justice administration resulting from the new administration's policy tone, Park stressed the importance of swift and fair exercise of prosecutorial power, improvements to the criminal justice system, and measures against juvenile crimes and drug crimes.
He expressed the view that the issues of the times, such as the need to respond to the current situation, the elimination of overcrowding, the establishment of order in stays, and the social integration of immigrants, must be resolved without wavering.
Park was appointed as the second justice minister in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration in February last year.
He was impeached by the National Assembly in connection with the "December 3 State of Emergency Martial Law" in December last year and was temporarily suspended from his duties, but was reinstated when the Constitutional Court dismissed the case in April this year.
The day before, all cabinet members, including Park, had announced their intention to resign following the inauguration of President Lee Jae-myung.
Only the resignation was accepted.