Ruling party hardliners oppose prosecution office plan, warn it could restore investigative powers

A proposed organizational decree for South Korea’s new Prosecution Office has triggered resistance from hardliners in the ruling Democratic Party, who fear it could restore the prosecution’s investigative powers.

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I suspect that an improper attempt by the prosecution to return the achievements of reform, which were achieved with difficulty, to square one is under way.

The Prosecution Office is scheduled to launch on Oct. 2 alongside the abolition of the existing Prosecutors’ Office. The decree, which the Justice Ministry has opened for public comment through Sept. 9, would keep the current 2,292 prosecutor positions and create a Judicial Control Division to re-examine cases that investigative agencies declined to refer.

Kim Yong-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, called for a full review at a news conference on Sept. 8. He questioned whether the prosecution was making an “improper attempt” to undo the results of reforms that had been achieved with difficulty.

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The intention to retain such a vast investigative workforce and the current number of prosecutors is obvious. It is an intention to exercise ‘constant investigative direction.’

Kim also challenged the decision to retain the large investigative workforce and the existing number of prosecutors. “The intention to retain such a vast investigative workforce and the current number of prosecutors is obvious. It is an intention to exercise ‘ постоянный investigative direction,’” he said. He described the proposed Judicial Control Division as “an obvious case of the controlled body trying to control another institution.”

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Creating a ‘Judicial Control Division’ in which the body that should be controlled seeks to control another institution is an obvious case of turning the tables.