President Moon Jae-in is struggling to find a way out of the dispute between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. The clear confrontation between the ruling government and the Prosecution Service has not only weakened the president’s drive for state administration, but it has also been the cause of worsening public opinion. More attention is on the suggestion by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, who stressed a political decision and advised the president to simultaneously dismiss Minister Choo and Prosecutor General Yoon. This day, the justice ministry postponed a meeting of the disciplinary committee to determine actions against the prosecutor general two days to December 4, which gives the president some time to seek a political solution.

However, more than a few experts believe it will not be easy for the president, who stresses legal procedures, to determine the future of Yoon, when the procedure for disciplinary measures against Yoon is still ongoing. Whatever the process, if the president dismisses the prosecutor general--whose term is guaranteed by law--during his term, he will have to bear the political burden as well as the aftermath.

This morning, immediately following a video cabinet meeting, President Moon met with Minister Choo for over ten minutes. Reportedly, the minister requested the meeting after she privately met with Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun shortly before the cabinet meeting. After the meeting with the president, the justice ministry released a statement and said, “We gave a report on the situation to the president. There was no discussion on a resignation.” Cheongwadae has not released an official position.

In a weekly meeting with the prime minister the previous day, after the prime ministered suggested that the justice minister and the prosecutor general both step down, the president answered, “There is a lot to consider.” Although he regards the conflict between Choo and Yoon as labor pains in the process of reforming the Prosecution Service, he cannot ignore the fact that the public is turning its back on the ruling party, with his approval ratings dropping as the conflict continues.

Since the process for disciplinary action against Yoon was in progress, Cheongwadae might have planned to have the president accept the justice minister’s request for disciplinary action when the final actions were determined.

The reason why the president did not stop the disciplinary procedure against Yoon was because he considered the fact that the prosecutor general, whose term is guaranteed, cannot be replaced arbitrarily as well as the fact that disciplinary action against the prosecutor general is also the sole affair of the justice minister.

But more people are holding the president responsible for being silent and neglecting the latest incident, and if Yoon does not accept the disciplinary actions against him, the dispute could go on. Thus it is difficult for the president to ignore the view that a political decision to simultaneously dismiss both people is necessary. The dispute between Choo and Yoon is becoming a burden on state administration, so there is more than a little demand that the president should resolve a problem he created.

Despite the recommendation by the Justice Ministry’s inspection committee, that the disciplinary procedure against Yoon was unfair, Minister Choo tried to push ahead with a meeting to determine the disciplinary measure on December 2. But when Koh Ki-young, vice minister of justice, who chairs the disciplinary committee, expressed his intention to resign, Choo accepted Yoon’s request to postpone the meeting. A member of the ruling party said, “The president has bought time to seek a political solution,” and added, “If the situation is not resolved in that time, strong confrontation between Choo and Yoon will be inevitable.”

It seems the president needs a political way out of this problem before a decision by the disciplinary committee. The situation calls for the political ability to simultaneously have Choo and Yoon both step down.

But considering their actions so far, Choo and Yoon have both insisted on going their own ways, so it is also unclear as to whether they will accept such a conclusion.