One-Third of Retirees Have Less Than 10 Years of Experience
Morale Drops Amid Reform Pressure; Manpower Shortage Worsens Due to Special Investigations
This year, more than 160 prosecutors have submitted their resignations, marking the highest number in the past decade. The departure of prosecutors with less than 10 years of experience is particularly notable. The acceleration in organizational departures is being driven by several factors: the 12·3 Martial Law Incident, the change of government, mounting pressure for prosecutorial reform, and manpower shortages due to the assignment of prosecutors to special investigations.
According to data submitted by the Ministry of Justice to the National Assembly on the 23rd, 161 prosecutors had retired as of the 10th of this month.
This figure has already surpassed last year’s total of 132 retirees and is higher than the 146 who left in 2022, a year marked by a change in administration. Even when looking only at statistics from the past 10 years, this is the highest number recorded.
The exodus of less experienced prosecutors was particularly pronounced. Of the retirees, 52 had less than 10 years of experience, accounting for one-third of all departures. Looking at the annual number of prosecutors with less than 10 years of experience who retired: 22 in 2021, 43 in 2022, 39 in 2023, and 38 last year-never before had the number exceeded 50.
The mass departure of prosecutors has been attributed to excessive workloads and growing uncertainty about the future of the organization. Currently, around 100 prosecutors have been assigned to three special investigations, and additional dispatches to permanent special investigations are planned, worsening the manpower shortage at local offices.
In fact, in September, when the amendment to the Government Organization Act passed and discussions on abolishing the prosecution office became more concrete, 47 prosecutors submitted their resignations in just one month. At the time, Cha Hodong, former head of the Seosan branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office, pointed out upon his resignation that “nearly 40,000 criminal cases nationwide are left in limbo.”
The recent activities of the “Constitutional Respect Government Innovation Task Force (TF)” have also contributed to internal conflict. The TF, established under the direction of the Prime Minister’s Office, is currently investigating whether public officials were involved in the 12·3 Martial Law Incident. During this process, the TF has requested the submission of personal mobile phones and mentioned the possibility of administrative leave or referral for investigation in case of noncompliance, which has sparked backlash within the prosecution.
Conflict over the decision to forgo an appeal in the Daejang-dong case is also fueling organizational instability. There is mounting pressure from the ruling party to demote or subject to inspection and disciplinary action those chief prosecutors who issued a joint statement demanding an explanation for the decision, which is cited as another obstacle to organizational stability.
On the 19th, Democratic Party lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee filed a police complaint against 18 chief prosecutors, including former Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office chief Park Jaeok, for violating the National Public Service Act. Among the senior prosecutors who were officially and unofficially asked to explain the circumstances, former Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office chief Park and former Gwangju High Prosecutors’ Office chief Song Kang have resigned and left the organization.
Although new leadership, including Park Cheolwoo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, is attempting to stabilize the organization, the wave of resignations due to manpower shortages and internal inspections is expected to continue through the end of the year.
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