Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae plans to appeal a court decision that lifted her order to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.

Choo’s legal representative Lee Oak-hyung issued a statement on Wednesday and acknowledged the ruling by the Seoul Administrative Court the previous day as the result of hard and agonized deliberation.  

However, the lawyer said the verdict has deepened chaos within the administration, the Justice Ministry and the prosecution and aggravated the division and tension among the public. 

He particularly took issue with the court’s judgment that the suspension of the top prosecutor would affect entire prosecutorial affairs, saying a majority of prosecutors will nonetheless perform their duties according to law. 

He also pointed to the fact that even former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye had been suspended from their duties for several months after the parliament approved a motion to impeach them. 

As it announced its ruling, which allowed Yoon to return to work ahead of the ministry’s disciplinary committee meeting later this week to deliberate his alleged ethical lapses, the court had said the suspension was tantamount to sacking the prosecutor general and harmed the independence of the prosecution.

Choo suspended Yoon last week citing six charges, including his alleged ordering of illegal surveillance of judges. The justice minister sought disciplinary action against Yoon as well.

Denying the allegations and claiming he was not given an opportunity to explain himself, Yoon applied for an injunction on Nov. 25 and filed a suit to cancel his suspension on Nov. 26.