The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said Thursday that it has chosen not to file an immediate appeal against the Seoul Central District Court’s decision to release President Yoon Suk Yeol from detention last week.
“The decision on whether to appeal the court’s ruling falls within the jurisdiction of the prosecution. As the quasi-judicial decision was made after the prosecutor general thoroughly consulted with the investigation team and senior prosecutors at the SPO, it must remain unaffected by any external influence,” the SPO said in an official statement.
The suspended president previously requested the Seoul Central District Court to review the legality of his detention in early February.
The court backed Yoon’s appeal against his detention on March 7, insisting that the prosecutors were mistaken when calculating the total detention period by applying calendar days passed, not the real hours spent. Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung on Monday stated that the prosecution decided not to appeal the court’s decision that found Yoon’s detention to be invalid.
But, conflicting opinions emerged among those in legal circles, with some criticizing Shim for abandoning its right to appeal the matter to the higher court.
Cheon Dae-yeop, chief of the Supreme Court’s Court Administration Office and a justice, said the matter should be reviewed by a higher court through an immediate appeal during a questioning session at the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Cheon's remark faced swift backlash from Yoon's side.
"Is this an appropriate response from a Supreme Court justice?" said Yoon Kab-keun, one of Yoon’s legal representatives, accusing Cheon of judicial interference and a violation of trial independence.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
