Yoon Hojung: "Inspection into whether Im Eunjung used her position... Repeating prosecution practices won't be tolerated"

Inspection Ordered for Im Eunjung, Chief of the Gwangju Regional Serious Crime Investigation Office
Public Criticism of Chief Nominee Kim Jiyong Draws Scrutiny
"Past Prosecutors' Disciplinary Practices Were Lenient... Must Not Be Repeated"

Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, said on Oct. 12 that he had ordered an inspection to determine “whether this was political activity using her position” in connection with the inspection of Im Eun-jung, chief of the Gwangju Regional Serious Crime Investigation Office.

Explaining the background to the order to inspect Im on his way to work that day, Minister Yoon said, “Anyone can express their own opinion as much as they like,” but added, “This is already being sufficiently discussed in political circles. What does it mean for a senior official of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency to go out of their way to discuss a related matter?”

Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety. September 22, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

He also said, “I saw a problem in the fact that this was not related to her duties, nor was it information she had obtained in the course of performing her duties. She had already expressed her views sufficiently while at the former prosecution service, yet she has continued to speak about it since taking up a post at the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.”

The previous day, Minister Yoon posted on X (formerly Twitter) and ordered an inspection of Im, who had publicly criticized Kim Jiyong, a candidate to become the inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.

Minister Yoon also stressed that past practices at the prosecution service must not be repeated at the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. Citing the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” he said, “Under the Prosecutors' Disciplinary Act, senior and junior prosecutors within the Ministry of Justice handled disciplinary matters among themselves, which made them very lenient. In the past, it was common practice at the prosecution service to tolerate collective action because it was impossible to discipline everyone involved.”

He added, “Such practices can no longer be tolerated at the Serious Crime Investigation Agency,” and said, “This applies equally to all investigators at the agency, not just Prosecutor Im Eun-jung.”

Asked how the inspection would proceed with the inspector general's position vacant, he said, “The position is vacant, but that does not mean there is no inspection department,” adding, “I believe the Serious Crime Investigation Agency will decide how to conduct the relevant inspection.”

Im, chief of the Gwangju Regional Serious Crime Investigation Office, said in a Facebook post the previous day, “It is very regrettable and sad that I have become the first person to be inspected by the Serious Crime Investigation Agency,” adding, “I will do my best to respond with a sense of duty.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.