Justice Minister Denies Ordering Appeal Cancellation in Daejang-dong Case

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho has denied any involvement in the decision to abandon the appeal in the "Daejang-dong case," responding directly to allegations that he instructed Vice Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo to do so. During a session of the National Assembly’s Budget and Accounts Committee on the morning of the 12th, Minister Jung addressed concerns raised by People Power Party Representative Bae Joon-young, who asked, “Did you instruct Vice Minister Lee to abandon the appeal?” with a clear response: “There is no such fact.”

When pressed further on whether he opposed the prosecution’s appeal, Minister Jung emphasized, “I have never opposed it.” He added, “If I had intended to issue such an order, I would have done so in writing. If those in the field claim they received an order, they should have requested a written directive from me.”

Minister Jung also clarified that he does not engage in discussions about specific cases with the presidential office. He stated, “I do not discuss cases with the presidential office at all.”

In response to growing criticism within the prosecution over the appeal abandonment, he expressed his concern about the collective backlash. He said, “It is highly inappropriate for prosecutors to collectively express their opinions on whether to appeal in individual cases. These are the same people who remained silent even when former President Yoon Suk-yeol was released from custody in violation of precedent.”

He further explained, “If there are opinions from the field, they should be addressed internally. Publicly expressing collective opinions is not conducive to the prosecution’s development.”

On calls for his resignation from opposition parties, Minister Jung maintained that it is not appropriate for a minister to take responsibility solely due to politically motivated investigations from the previous administration.

Regarding the criticism that abandoning the appeal eliminated the opportunity to reclaim approximately 74 billion Korean won in criminal proceeds, he pointed out, “The claim that it exceeds 70 billion Korean won is the prosecution’s assertion. The issue in the investigation and indictment was not about the profits the suspects gained but their connection to President Lee Jae-myung.”

He continued, “Around 20 billion Korean won has been reclaimed or preserved, and since Seongnam Urban Development Corporation is pursuing a civil lawsuit, I will actively support efforts to prove breach of trust and recover the funds even through civil litigation.”