Kim Oh-soo Resumes Weekly Reports at Seoul Central and Southern District Prosecutors' Offices... Full-Scale Investigation Leadership Begins

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo is entering the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 7th to meet Police Commissioner General Kim Chang-ryong. This is the first official meeting between the heads of the prosecution and police since the amended Criminal Procedure Act, focusing on the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police, was enacted in January this year. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo will receive weekly reports from Lee Jung-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and Shim Jae-chul, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, starting from the 17th. This marks the first weekly report from the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in one year.

During the weekly report on that day, Prosecutor General Kim is expected to have received updates on major ongoing cases such as the investigation into the Blue House planned inspection allegations, the disposition of Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon related to the Channel A case, the taxi driver assault incident involving former Deputy Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu, and the investigation into corruption allegations at the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH).

However, it is known that cases related to former President Yoon Seok-youl's family or close associates will be excluded from the reports. According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, last year, former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae exercised her authority to exclude the Prosecutor General's command over these cases. Since the Prosecutor General at that time was President Yoon, this measure was taken, but the ministerial directive explicitly stated 'excluding the Prosecutor General's command,' which also applies to Prosecutor General Kim.

Following the weekly reports from the Seoul Central and Southern District Prosecutors' Offices, other prosecutors' offices such as the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office will also report on major ongoing cases.

Weekly reports to the Prosecutor General will be regularized. The Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which handles many ongoing issues, reported face-to-face to the Prosecutor General once a week, the Southern District Prosecutors' Office twice a month, and frontline prosecutors' offices reported when there were ongoing issues.

However, in July last year, during the conflict between the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office over the investigation command of the Channel A case, the weekly reports from Lee Sung-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, were effectively suspended.

With Prosecutor General Kim deciding to resume weekly reports, it is expected that active investigative command on major ongoing issues will also begin. However, with the upcoming prosecution system reorganization and mid-level executive personnel appointments, the direction of Prosecutor General Kim's investigative command is likely to become clear only after the personnel changes.