Yoon presidential bid would not withstand scrutiny: Choo

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Yoon presidential bid would not withstand scrutiny: Choo

Yoon Seok-youl [YONHAP]

Yoon Seok-youl [YONHAP]

Pressure is mounting on former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl as prominent figures in the ruling Democratic Party took aim at his possible presidential bid.
 
In an interview on YTN Radio Thursday morning, former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, one of Yoon’s longtime public adversaries, predicted that Yoon would not withstand public scrutiny as a presidential candidate.
 
“As his former boss, I am the person who knows Yoon best. I am the hawk who will hunt this pheasant,” Choo claimed on the radio broadcast. “Right now, he is teetering on the edge of the presidential candidates’ ring, unwilling to cross the fence of scrutiny.”
 
During her term as justice minister, Choo was locked in a power struggle with Yoon last year over the state prosecution service’s investigations into high-profile figures in President Moon Jae-in’s administration.
 
In November, she attempted to remove Yoon from his job by alleging ethical and criminal violations, and also ordered state prosecutors to investigate him.
 
Choo added, “However much Yoon tries to evade being tested by the press by lining up supporters from the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, and Donga Ilbo, it is only a matter of time before he faces public scrutiny.”
 
Some of the public scrutiny mentioned by Choo will certainly focus on ongoing probes concerning Yoon’s handling of important investigations during his time as the country’s top prosecutor and the personal business affairs of his family.
 
Yoon’s wife Kim Geon-hee is being investigated for allegations that she manipulated stock prices of Deutsche Motors and received special privileges during the sale of Deutsche Financial shares.
 
His mother-in-law was indicted in November on charges of illegally operating a rehabilitation hospital and is currently facing trial.
 
Yoon himself is under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) for allegedly interfering in the state prosecution service’s investigations.
 
Yoon was reported to the office in February by a civic group for allegedly botching an investigation into financial fraud and obstructing an investigation into prosecutors who were accused of encouraging perjury in order to jail former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook.
 
BY MICHAEL LEE   [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]
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