[Breaking] Prosecutor General Acting Chief: "Heartbroken... Please Withdraw Summons for Junior Prosecutors in State Inquiry"

South Korea's acting Prosecutor General, Gu Ja-hyun, has made an unprecedented public plea to the National Assembly, urging them to retract subpoenas issued to junior prosecutors and investigators summoned as witnesses for a parliamentary inquiry. The inquiry, driven by the main opposition Democratic Party, scrutinizes allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and political interference during the current Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Gu's appeal, made outside the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, stems from profound distress over the potential impact of these summonses on ongoing trials and the well-being of the legal professionals involved.

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I ask that the summoning of witnesses, including junior prosecutors and investigators who were in charge of investigations related to the relevant cases at the time, be withdrawn in the future parliamentary inquiry.

Gu's emotional statement followed media reports of a junior prosecutor's extreme actions, which he described as a source of "devastating" sorrow. He emphasized that parliamentary inquiries must not be perceived as attempts to influence judicial processes, particularly those involving ongoing trials. "No parliamentary inquiry should be evaluated as trying to influence a trial," Gu stated, requesting that the remaining period of the inquiry be conducted "fairly and objectively." This plea reflects a deep concern within the prosecution service about the potential for political maneuvering to undermine the integrity of the justice system, a sentiment that resonates strongly within South Korean society where the judiciary's independence is a highly valued principle.

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No parliamentary inquiry should be evaluated as trying to influence a trial. I earnestly ask that you conduct the parliamentary inquiry fairly and objectively for the remaining period.

The acting Prosecutor General highlighted that during an earlier agency briefing, he had already voiced concerns about the inquiry targeting cases still under judicial review and requested that the testimony of prosecutors and investigators involved in the practical aspects of these cases be minimized. However, he noted that numerous officials have since been called to testify, facing what he described as "insulting remarks" and limited opportunities to provide their accounts. Gu pledged that the prosecution service would fully cooperate with the inquiry but reiterated his request for the withdrawal of summonses for junior officials and for any necessary future testimonies to be handled with utmost discretion, considering their potential impact on ongoing legal proceedings. This situation underscores a critical tension between legislative oversight and judicial independence, a recurring theme in South Korean politics.

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I heard the news that a prosecutor who was summoned as a witness had an extreme reaction with a devastating heart. Their recovery and stability should be the top priority.