Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae reaffirmed that she will seek disciplinary action against Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl as prosecutors intensify their resistance to the move. 

In a statement on Friday, Choo said that she fully understands the shock and confusion within the agency and believes the outcry by some prosecutors comes from how they value their organization.

The minister, however, stressed that the suspension was decided after sufficient fact-checking and auditing, adding it was inevitable due to the gravity of Yoon's alleged illegal surveillance of judges that damages constitutional values.

Choo said she was disappointed and shocked by Yoon claiming the collection of personal information was nothing out of the ordinary, adding that it is no different from intelligence agencies' illegal surveillance under previous administrations.