Anchor: Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl has effectively accepted Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's order to stay away from a controversial case involving one of Yoon's key aides. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed the decision on Thursday, shortly before the deadline the justice minister set in her 24-hour ultimatum. 
Kim Bum-soo has more on the ongoing power struggle between the administration and the prosecution.

Report: Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl has conceded to Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's order to back off from handling a high-profile case involving a ranking prosecutor. 

In a text message sent to legal correspondents Thursday morning, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office said the case will be investigated by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which exercises regular jurisdiction over the case. 

The statement said the justice minister's instructions last week in effect divested the chief prosecutor of his authority over the matter, unless a dispute resolution procedure otherwise revokes the move. 

While issuing the statement shortly before the ten o'clock deadline on Thursday, which Justice Minister Choo set in her 24-hour ultimatum, the prosecution noted that the Justice Ministry and Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office have been notified of the decision.

The chief prosecutor’s side also insinuated criticism of Choo in the statement. It likened the current situation to a 2012 probe of the National Intelligence Service's opinion rigging scandal, which then-chief investigator Yoon led, but was eventually removed from in 2013.

On Wednesday, the justice minister rejected the chief prosecutor's proposal to create an independent investigative team to handle the collusion case, involving a reporter who allegedly boasted of his ties with a ranking prosecutor close to Yoon in interviewing an inmate for his story.

As the chief prosecutor attempted to convene his own expert advisory panel to weigh the merits of the case, the justice minister sent a memorandum to Yoon last week, ordering him not to make it his business.

Choo's exercise of her jurisdiction over the prosecution sparked backlash among senior prosecutors.

Though appointed prosecutor general by President Moon Jae-in, Yoon has been attacked by the ruling camp as a barrier to prosecutorial reform as his active investigation into Choo's predecessor Cho Kuk contributed to his resignation. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.