National Prosecutors General: "Geomsu Wanbak Will Harm the People"

7-Hour Marathon Meeting "No Institution Left for Citizens to Appeal To"
Deputy Chiefs, Prosecutors, and General Staff at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Unite in Opposition to 'Geomsu Wanbak'

On the 11th, the National Prosecutors' Meeting was held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The meeting, presided over by Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo, was conducted in person with the attendance of 18 district prosecutors, including Deputy Prosecutor General Park Sung-jin./Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] The 18 district prosecutors across the country have unanimously voiced that the so-called ‘Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights (Geomsu Wanbak)’ bill, promoted by the Democratic Party of Korea, will "cause harm to the public."

The district prosecutors held a marathon meeting from 10 a.m. to around 5 p.m. on the 11th, lasting about seven hours, and expressed opposition to the Geomsu Wanbak bill, stating, "If the prosecution’s investigative functions are completely abolished, the prosecution, which is responsible for judicial justice and human rights protection, will lose its raison d'?tre, such as being unable to directly hear testimonies from parties involved in cases."

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo declared at the opening remarks that he would stake his ‘position,’ saying, "If the prosecution’s investigative function is abolished, there will be no meaning for me as the Prosecutor General to continue performing my duties," taking a firm stance. The district prosecutors nationwide also shared a common position of not clinging to their posts, similar to Prosecutor General Kim.

The district prosecutors emphasized, "After the reform of the criminal justice system, we have keenly felt problems such as being unable to properly punish crimes even after discovering them, and the public experiencing confusion and inconvenience due to delays in truth-finding and case handling," adding, "If a bill abolishing the prosecution’s investigative function is hastily pushed forward without resolving these issues, without public consensus, procedural legitimacy, sufficient discussion, or concrete alternatives, the resulting harm will fall upon the public."

The district prosecutors also requested the National Assembly to form a so-called ‘Special Committee for the Improvement of the Criminal Justice System.’ This committee would comprehensively gather broad opinions from experts and the public on various issues surrounding the prosecution’s investigative function and the criminal justice system, and through thorough discussion, prepare rational improvement measures for the criminal justice system.

After the meeting, Kim Hu-gon, Daegu District Prosecutor, met with reporters and said, "I understand there is much public dissatisfaction regarding investigation delays," adding, "If the amendment is to resolve such issues, I would fully support it, but at least one institution that the public can appeal to is disappearing."

He further stated, "I want to raise the question of whether investigation and prosecution can be separated," adding, "Judges do not make decisions solely based on the prosecution’s claims; they also conduct investigations on their own authority. If there is suspicion, they must ask and discover for the sake of substantive truth. If this function disappears, ultimately the harm will return to the public."

Regarding the Democratic Party’s claim that the prosecution is collectively rebelling, he drew a line, saying, "The fact that the district prosecutors gathered could be seen as a rebellion, but we are pointing out problems," and "There are various opinions within each office as well."

He also mentioned that if the Democratic Party continues to push the Geomsu Wanbak bill, Prosecutor General Kim might directly visit the National Assembly. Planning and Coordination Department Head (Senior Prosecutor) Ye Se-min said, "Since Prosecutor General Kim intends to explain in detail to lawmakers and the public, I believe he will actively provide explanations."

That afternoon, deputy prosecutors, regular prosecutors, and general staff such as secretariat chiefs at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office also held a meeting and expressed opposition to the Geomsu Wanbak bill. They emphasized, "In a situation where public inconvenience is increasing due to complicated investigative procedures and investigation delays following the amended Criminal Procedure Act, efforts to minimize confusion and stabilize the system should be prioritized."