Jo Eung-cheon: "If the Moon administration had pursued prosecution reform instead of clearing deep-rooted evils early on, I would have welcomed it with open arms"

Impeachment Coalition May Have Missed Chance to Evolve into Reform Coalition Amid Political Retaliation Controversy

On the 26th, Cho Eung-cheon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the "Democratic Party Reflection and Innovation Continuous Forum" held at the National Assembly and presented on the topic "Reflection and Lessons from Five and a Half Years of Democratic Party Governance." Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] It has been pointed out that if the Moon Jae-in administration had pursued prosecutorial reform that separates investigative and prosecutorial powers instead of focusing on clearing deep-rooted evils, it would have led to a completely different outcome.

On the 26th, Cho Eung-cheon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at the 'Democratic Party Reflection and Innovation Continuous Forum' held at the National Assembly, "The Moon Jae-in administration missed the golden time for prosecutorial reform due to the early drive to clear deep-rooted evils."

Rep. Cho said, "President Moon Jae-in held his inauguration ceremony at the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly, and before that, he visited opposition party leaders one by one, promising cooperation and dialogue, which gave hope that a new horizon would open in Korean politics. However, what followed immediately was the drive to clear deep-rooted evils." He added, "The Presidential Secretariat promptly took the lead in creating task forces for clearing deep-rooted evils in each ministry and instructed them to develop operational plans by department. The Democratic Party also formed a committee for clearing deep-rooted evils, identifying items by standing committees, and 19 government agencies operated task forces for this purpose." He criticized, "During this process, although the separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers was clearly presented as an election pledge, the opposite happened as special investigations by the prosecution were strengthened, turning the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office into the world's largest department."

Rep. Cho said, "The impeachment coalition, which included Democratic Party supporters, centrists, and defected conservatives, could have transformed into a reform coalition, but because of the drive to clear deep-rooted evils, conservatives began to suspect it was political retaliation." He added, "If the complete separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers (known as 'Geomsu Wanbak') had been implemented immediately after taking power in 2017, eliminating the prosecution's special investigative functions, I would have welcomed it with open arms."