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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Prosecutors' criticism of legal reform called hypocritical

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Opinion Named sources New plan
  • Prosecutors in South Korea are publicly criticizing a bill to abolish their supplementary investigation rights, a move seen as a significant shift in the country's legal system.
  • Critics argue that the prosecutors' objections are hypocritical, given their past actions, including alleged biased investigations and suppression of press freedom.
  • The article contends that instead of resisting the reform, prosecutors should focus on adapting to the new system and reflecting on their past conduct.

The South Korean prosecution is facing strong criticism for its vocal opposition to a bill that would abolish its supplementary investigation rights, a move poised to significantly reshape the nation's legal landscape. Acting Prosecutor General Goo Ja-hyun and other prosecutors have publicly voiced their concerns, arguing that the reform will undermine the criminal justice system and lead to the concealment of truth. Goo Ja-hyun stated that the abolition of these rights would eliminate the prosecution's ability to effectively inspect, supplement, and correct investigations conducted by the police.

The political slogan of separating investigation and prosecution has repeatedly led to the disarming and collapse of the criminal prosecution system, which is a defense system for protecting the basic citizens' basic rights from crime, without any improvement in political neutrality.

— Kang Baek-shinProsecutor Kang Baek-shin criticized the reform, likening it to a political slogan that weakens the nation's ability to combat crime and will lead to prolonged legal battles for citizens.

However, the article argues that these objections are hypocritical, particularly coming from prosecutors involved in high-profile cases. Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin, known for his involvement in investigations related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol, is cited as an example of a prosecutor whose criticisms are seen as self-serving rather than genuinely concerned with justice. The article points to past actions, such as extensive investigations into media outlets over reports concerning Yoon's alleged involvement in a financial scandal, as evidence of the prosecution's own history of potentially biased investigations and actions that could be seen as suppressing press freedom.

The piece contends that the prosecution's resistance to the reform ignores their own role in creating the current situation. It suggests that the prosecution itself has, at times, destabilized the criminal justice system through its investigative and prosecutorial practices. The article emphasizes that the reform is not about eliminating oversight but about rebalancing power, as the revised law still allows prosecutors to request supplementary investigations and seek changes in investigative agencies if police do not comply without valid reason.

If the prosecutor's effective inspection, supplementary, and correction functions for the investigation results of the primary investigative agency disappear, truth will be concealed and South Korea's criminal justice system will collapse.

— Goo Ja-hyunGoo Ja-hyun, acting Prosecutor General, expressed deep concern over the bill's potential to undermine the justice system and hide the truth.

Ultimately, the article calls for introspection within the prosecution. It suggests that rather than engaging in what it characterizes as "malicious criticism," prosecutors should focus their energy on adapting to the new legal framework and ensuring a smooth transition. The piece implies that a genuine commitment to victims' rights and the pursuit of justice would involve cooperating with the reform and reflecting on past conduct, rather than resisting change.

The prosecution's supplementary investigation rights are disappearing, not the inspection, supplementary, and correction functions.

— Article textThe article clarifies that the reform abolishes the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights, not their oversight functions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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