President Moon Jae-in said he considers Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl the chief prosecutor of his administration. 

In a televised New Year’s conference at the presidential office on Monday, Moon said he does not believe that Yoon is serving as the nation’s top prosecutor with his mind set on politics.  

The president then apologized to the public for the conflict between the Justice Ministry and the prosecution over reform methods.  

He said he hopes the two sides will work together from now on the challenge of completing reforms.  

Moon said he had suspected that differences of opinion could emerge between the justice minister and the prosecutor general given that the reform efforts entail changing the relationship between prosecutors and the police, as well as the way prosecutors conduct investigations.  

The president said he hopes that the two sides will smoothly carry out efforts without worrying the public and without conflict now that they have confirmed each other’s stances on ways to overhaul the prosecution.