Prosecution Leadership at Central District Prosecutors' Office Faces Impeachment Push... Over 200 Prosecutors Criticize "Erosion of Prosecutorial Independence"

"Democratic Party, Running Wild Like a Train Without Brakes"

Prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (SCDPO) criticized the Democratic Party of Korea's push to impeach the SCDPO leadership, saying it seriously undermines the independence of the prosecution.

On the afternoon of the 2nd, at the National Assembly plenary session, Jeong Myeong-ho, Secretary General of the National Assembly, reported on the impeachment proposals against Choi Jae-hae, Auditor General of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Lee Chang-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Cho Sang-won, 4th Deputy Prosecutor, and Choi Jae-hoon, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 2nd, a group of prosecutors at the SCDPO posted a statement on the prosecution’s internal network, E-Prose, expressing "deep concern and regret over the National Assembly's move to pursue impeachment against the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and others," and pointed out that "attempting to impeach prosecutors involved in certain investigations and dispositions on the grounds of their handling of specific cases poses a serious risk of damaging the constitutionally and legally guaranteed independence and neutrality of the prosecution." There are approximately 200 prosecutors affiliated with the SCDPO.

They stated, "Impeachment is the last resort to uphold the constitution in response to serious constitutional or legal violations by high-ranking public officials," but "the current attempts to impeach prosecutors in office are unjustified as the reasons do not align with the situations envisaged by the constitution." They added, "Under any circumstances, we will do our utmost to steadfastly carry out the prosecution’s fundamental duties to protect the safety of the people, ensuring that no gaps arise in the criminal justice system and the rule of law."

Criticism of the impeachment from senior prosecutors is also continuing. On the same day, Jung Jin-woo, head of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office, said through E-Prose, "Repeatedly pushing for impeachment just because one is dissatisfied with the content of a prosecutor’s investigation or disposition goes against the essence of impeachment," and earnestly requested, "I sincerely ask the National Assembly to reconsider impeachment discussions, taking into account the country’s system and constitutional principles."

Earlier, the deputy chief prosecutor of the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, who became a target of the Democratic Party’s impeachment motion for allegedly conducting an illegal search and seizure during the investigation of the 'presidential election interference and public opinion manipulation case,' also voiced criticism of the impeachment push. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kang said, "The Democratic Party appears to be running like a runaway train without brakes," and directly criticized, "They impeach at the slightest pretext, hoping that eventually one person will be caught, showing a prime example of abusive impeachment motions akin to dusting off or rainmaking rituals." He also said, "As a prosecutor, it is hard to avoid thinking that to not be impeached, one must cover up even serious corruption by the major opposition party and prosecute cases favorable to the major opposition party regardless of evidence or legal grounds."

He argued, "Although the right to initiate impeachment lies with the National Assembly, it cannot be exercised solely for partisan purposes just because someone acted unfavorably to one’s own side," and claimed, "The majority party abusing the power of impeachment without meeting the necessary conditions for purely partisan purposes is an abuse of authority and an infringement on the powers of prosecutors and, furthermore, on administrative authority."