Outgoing Seoul High Prosecutor Im Gwan-hyeok: "Prosecutors Overloaded... Need to Reduce Cognitive Investigations"

"Focus on Handling Criminal Cases, Supplementary Investigations, and Judicial Control"

Im Gwan-hyeok (58, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 26), the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor who is set to retire on the 11th, urged that the prosecution should reduce cognizance investigations, stating that "the prosecution is overloaded."

In a 'resignation message' posted on the prosecution's internal network, E-Pros, on the 9th, Chief Prosecutor Im wrote, "No matter how hard we try, we cannot do everything well, and sometimes we need the wisdom and courage to boldly let go."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He said, "(The prosecution) is conducting many large and small cognizance investigations in various areas, handling cases transferred from the police, accumulating judicial control duties, and the burden of trials is gradually increasing." He added, "Moreover, both investigations and trials are more delayed than before, causing difficulties for the parties involved and making it harder to uncover the facts of the cases."

He continued, "Although the passion and dedication of prosecutors have managed all these tasks so far, I am somewhat skeptical about how long we can continue to endure."

Chief Prosecutor Im stated, "As several predecessors have pointed out, cognizance investigations should be reduced to the minimum necessary areas more suitable for the prosecution, such as corruption and finance, and instead, more focus should be placed on handling general criminal cases, supplementary investigations, and judicial control." He said that this would make prompt case handling possible to some extent.

Im Gwan-hyeok is a representative 'specialist' prosecutor who has served as head of the Special 1st and 2nd Divisions at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, head of the Sewol Ferry Disaster Special Investigation Unit, chief prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, and chief prosecutor of the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office.

Last month, the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee recommended four candidates for the next Prosecutor General, including Chief Prosecutor Im and Deputy Minister of Justice Shim Woo-jeong. On the 3rd, when the confirmation hearing for Deputy Minister Shim, who was nominated as a candidate for Prosecutor General, was held, Chief Prosecutor Im expressed his intention to resign to the Ministry of Justice. Both Chief Prosecutor Im and candidate Shim, who are classmates from the Judicial Research and Training Institute, are the most senior among high-ranking prosecutors. Chief Prosecutor Im's retirement ceremony will be held on the 11th.