President Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday that prosecutors must not fall into a "trap of infallibility," urging them to apologize and reverse course when they make mistakes. "Anyone can make mistakes. When you do, you apologize and withdraw it. The same applies to any institution," Lee said after receiving a performance report from the Prosecution Service.
In response, Han Dong-hoon, an independent candidate running in the by-election for the National Assembly seat in Busan's Buk-A district, pushed back on Facebook. "What are you trying to withdraw?" Han wrote. "Today's remarks are, as previously signaled, groundwork for pushing through the withdrawal of charges in his own case after the election."
The Presidential Office dismissed any broader interpretation, saying the comments reflected "the usual thinking on state affairs that the greater an institution's authority, the greater the responsibility that must come with it."
Lee made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting and emergency economic review session held at the Presidential Office, after receiving a report on the first-year achievements of the new administration from Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyun. "You must not, under any circumstances, fall into the trap of infallibility," Lee said. "The prosecution is a quasi-public-interest body, a quasi-judicial institution, or an institution that bears public-interest duties. It holds enormous authority, and with that must come commensurate responsibility." Lee also added, "I know prosecutors have been working hard, and I am grateful that you have produced results despite the difficulties."
After Lee's remarks, Han shared related news articles on Facebook, framing the comments as "groundwork for withdrawing charges in his own case." A senior Presidential Office official, however, drew a line against expanded interpretations, saying, "The point was that prosecutors, too, must guard against falling into the trap of infallibility."
Acting Prosecutor General Koo, for his part, reported that "going forward, the prosecution will faithfully participate in discussions on the criminal justice system, while doing its utmost in its core duties of safeguarding public safety and protecting human rights."
