President Lee Jae Myung: "Debate Prosecution Reform in Front of the Public"

President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the temporary Cabinet meeting held on the 29th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 29th, President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials regarding prosecution reform, saying, "Engage in rational debate and discussion in front of the public to develop countermeasures and solutions for key issues."

Kang Yoo Jung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, released President Lee's remarks from the temporary Cabinet meeting during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on this day. According to Spokesperson Kang, President Lee emphasized, "It is necessary to develop practical measures for fundamental problems, such as preventing abuse of power due to concentration of authority and ensuring smooth operation of investigative powers."

President Lee proposed, "How about holding a symbolic discussion process that is completely open, where we gather opinions from everyone and debate, so that we can develop alternatives for any shortcomings?" His idea is to hold a kind of public debate that is not limited to the ruling party or expert groups, but is open for all citizens to observe and participate in.

President Lee stressed, "It is necessary to correct the assumption that there is a national consensus on the abuse of prosecutorial power," and added, "There should be open discussions on solutions, based on the shared understanding that the prosecution must also be held accountable for its wrongdoings."

President Lee also pointed out, "It must not be a mere show," and added, "We must develop substantive proposals, and if there are differing opinions, we should establish a culture of debate, specifically mentioning which aspects can serve as alternatives and which are lacking, so that we can develop a more rational prosecution reform plan that aligns with the public interest."

Spokesperson Kang stated, "The President even said he could personally preside over the debate," and added, "He expressed a fully open attitude toward discussion on reform."