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Kim Sun-min, acting leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party / Photo by Song Ui-joo, Asia Today

Kim Sun-min, acting leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, called for the resignation of Prosecutor General Sim Woo-jung on June 16, accusing him of shielding the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and neglecting his duty during the insurrection crisis.

In a press conference held at the National Assembly, Kim declared, “Prosecutor General Sim has lost all qualification as head of the prosecution, having defended the Yoon regime and turned a blind eye to the insurrection.”

He continued, “If prosecutors had simply followed their oath at the time of appointment, the Yoon administration would never have come into existence. Instead, the prosecution became a source of power, using its authority to align with dictatorship, protecting Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee, and either aiding or ignoring the insurrection.”

Kim also raised concerns over an alleged October 2024 encrypted phone call between former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Kim Joo-hyun and Sim. “This call occurred just as the investigation into the Maeng Tae-gyun scandal was gaining momentum. What exactly were Yoon’s two closest allies discussing?” he asked. “Suspiciously, not long after, the prosecution dropped all charges against Kim Keon-hee in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case. This must be investigated by the special counsel.”

He criticized the court’s decision to calculate former President Yoon’s detention period in hours rather than days, allowing his release, and blamed the prosecution for failing to file an immediate appeal. “They effectively enabled Yoon’s legal jailbreak,” Kim said, adding that other key figures—former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former military intelligence chief Noh Sang-won, and former Seoul police chief Kim Bong-sik—are also set to walk free as their six-month detention terms expire.

Kim pointed out that prosecutors have typically extended detention periods for serious offenders through additional indictments, but in the case of those involved in the insurrection, they failed to do so. He further claimed, “There are now rumors that prosecutors no longer trust Sim and are withholding investigative updates from him.”

“Rather than be humiliated, Sim should step down on his own terms,” Kim concluded. “If he plans to cling to office using the excuse that his term runs until September next year, he should resign now and prepare for a special investigation.”