Lee Jae-myung: "'I am a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea' reflects a sense of privilege... Prosecution reform is necessary"

On the 6th, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung is delivering the opening address at the '2020 Gyeonggi-do Social Housing Conference.'
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgi Kim] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, emphasized the need for prosecutorial reform on the 22nd, stating, "Regardless of whether it is just or secular, we must create a structure with an appropriate balance of power, independent of the temperament of individual prosecutors."

In a post on his Facebook that day, Lee said, "I recently binge-watched season 1 of the drama 'Secret Forest.' If our society had achieved proper prosecutorial reform, it would not have escalated to such extremes," expressing this view.

He added, "There may be no other country with as many movies or dramas featuring prosecutors as the main characters as ours. Sometimes they appear as righteous prosecutors punishing vested interests, and other times as corrupt prosecutors engaging in bribery and abuse of power."

He continued, "Whether righteous or malicious, prosecutors share the common trait of possessing very strong privileged power. There is a reason why the phrase 'I am a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea' almost always appears. They can use any means to find weaknesses unrelated to investigations, insult others through the media, collude with economic powers to overlook issues, and often look down on other public officials," he pointed out.

Governor Lee emphasized the necessity of prosecutorial reform, saying, "The message these cultural contents imply is clear. If the world operated according to the principles of checks and balances and the law, such a masterpiece drama would not have been created. If our society had achieved proper prosecutorial reform, it would not have escalated to such extremes."