On August 26, 2026, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho held a farewell ceremony at the Ministry of Justice in the Government Complex Gwacheon before leaving office. The central message of the ceremony was a call to continue refining the system so that implementation of the new criminal justice system does not infringe on citizens’ rights or lead to unjust cases. Immediately after the ceremony, he also addressed claims that his resignation was connected to the withdrawal of the indictment in President Lee Jae-myung’s case.
Key Change: The Justice Minister’s Departure and a Call to Improve the Criminal Justice System
At the ceremony, Minister Jung said, in substance, that anticipated problems should be identified in advance and safeguards prepared before the new criminal justice system takes effect, while problems that emerge after implementation should be corrected quickly. Yonhap News Agency reported that he urged officials to ensure that no citizens are treated unfairly.
The remarks were less a renewed explanation of the direction of institutional reform than a message to identify potential problems during implementation and prepare improvements. The focus, therefore, was on the safeguards needed as changes to the criminal justice system are applied in practice, rather than on the outcome of any particular case.
Minister Jung’s most direct instruction can be summarized as “improvements before implementation, and swift corrections afterward.”
Current Status: He Denies Speculation About Pressure to Withdraw the Indictment
After the ceremony, Minister Jung told reporters that claims he had expressed his intention to resign because of pressure over withdrawing the indictment in President Lee Jae-myung’s case were entirely unfounded. Regarding the indictment withdrawal issue, he said, in substance, that if the indictment resulted from an illegal procedure, it was a matter for the prosecution to determine.
Two points are clear from these remarks. First, Minister Jung denied any connection between his resignation and the speculation about pressure over withdrawing the indictment. Second, he did not say that he had ordered or decided to withdraw the indictment in the case; instead, he explained that the prosecution should determine whether the indictment resulted from an illegal procedure. These remarks should therefore not be expanded into an interpretation that he ordered or decided on an indictment withdrawal.
Impact: The Need for Improvements After Prosecutorial Reform Comes Into Focus
Yonhap News Agency described Jung Sung-ho as the first Justice Minister of the Lee Jae-myung administration, who took office in July of the previous year. It also reported that Jung led legislation for prosecutorial reform, including abolishing the Prosecutors’ Office and establishing the Office of Public Prosecution and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
Against this backdrop, the farewell ceremony is connected not merely to a personnel change but also to broader attention on how the criminal justice system should be operated and refined after the passage of prosecutorial reform legislation. Minister Jung’s remarks did not establish that the reform had succeeded or failed; they were a call to examine unforeseen problems during implementation of the new system.
In the Ministry of Justice’s 2026 second-half work-plan report, Jung Sung-ho was still listed as Minister of Justice as of August 5. With the farewell ceremony taking place on August 26, it is necessary to distinguish between the policy context of his tenure and the ministry’s operating status after his departure.
Next Checkpoints: Acting Minister and Follow-up Announcements
TheFact reported that, after Minister Jung’s resignation was accepted, Vice Minister Lee Jin-soo would serve as acting Justice Minister for the time being. The key points for readers to monitor are when a successor will be announced, how long the acting-minister arrangement will continue, and what safeguards will be presented before and after implementation of the new criminal justice system.
However, the reports provided confirm only Jung’s departure and the report that Vice Minister Lee Jin-soo would temporarily serve as acting minister. The appointment of a successor, the specific details of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, and the subsequent operating structure of the Office of Public Prosecution and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency must be confirmed through additional official announcements. The outcome of the indictment withdrawal issue in President Lee Jae-myung’s case also cannot be determined from the remarks made at this farewell ceremony alone.
Minister Jung Sung-ho’s departure is significant because it represents the replacement of a Justice Minister who led prosecutorial reform legislation, and because the need for safeguards to prevent harm to citizens during implementation of the new criminal justice system was publicly emphasized. The indictment withdrawal issue should not be treated as the definitive reason for his resignation; the accurate focus is that Jung denied any connection and identified the prosecution as the decision-maker.