Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl clashed in court over the legitimacy of the minister's suspension of the top prosecutor on allegations of misconduct.

During a hearing at Yoon's request for a court injunction on the suspension Monday, the legal counsel for Choo argued that the suspension was necessary considering the gravity of the misconduct and that no damage was inflicted on the chief prosecutor.

Following the hearing, Choo's counsel said there is no urgent need for the court injunction, since the suspension will come into force after a disciplinary committee decides on the level of discipline on Wednesday.

The representative for Yoon, on the other hand, called for an immediate injunction, refuting that irrecoverable damage has been done regarding the prosecution's neutrality and autonomy.

The counsel argued that the Justice Ministry's audit, suspension and request for disciplinary action were all carried out in an unlawful and unfair manner, with the minister ignoring the relevant process and revising regulations along the way.