A "perception survey on prosecution reform" conducted by the Prosecution Reform Promotion Team under the Prime Minister's Office from late last year to early this year found that more than 62% of police investigators said they support keeping prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority, according to findings on the 3rd. Earlier, when the Prosecution Reform Promotion Team issued a related press release in Feb., it did not disclose this. As a result, some are saying the team may have intentionally withheld inconvenient findings.
ChosunBiz on this day obtained the final report of the prosecution reform perception survey by the Prosecution Reform Promotion Team, which Rep. Yoo Sang-beom of the People Power Party received from the Prime Minister's Office. The survey covered judges, prosecutors, attorneys, law professors, prosecution investigators, police investigators, and special judicial police officers.
On the key issue of "keeping prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority," even among police investigators, support (62.5%) outpaced opposition (37.5%). Police investigators who supported it said that "police also need checks, and it is necessary to prevent suspects from being released due to shoddy investigations," and that "if limited to cases such as at the suspect's request, it can improve efficiency and prevent targeted investigations."
Among other those surveyed, the share supporting "keeping prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority" was also high. The figures were judges (80%), attorneys (75%), and special judicial police officers (66.7%).
However, in a related press release in Feb., the Prosecution Reform Promotion Team only said, "In in-depth interviews with experts and relevant public officials, many said prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority is necessary, but some said it should be abolished in keeping with the purpose of separating investigation and indictment." It did not mention at all that 60% to 80% of those surveyed, including police investigators, supported keeping the supplementary investigation authority.
The results of a survey of 4,000 members of the general public were similar. Of those who responded, 45.4% said prosecutors' direct supplementary investigations should be recognized, while negative views were 34.2%.
There was a challenge at the National Assembly level over the recent prosecution reform perception survey. At a subcommittee of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on the 2nd, Rep. Yoo Sang-beom of the People Power Party said, "Wasn't the Prosecution Reform Promotion Team created, under the prime minister's supervision, to draft the government plan on prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority?" He added, "The problem arose when the prime minister abruptly abandoned the government plan even though internal views had all been compiled."
Rep. Lee Jong-uk also said, "Since 86 million won of public money was spent, you need to explain why a decision was made that differed from the research findings," and asked, "Did you stay quiet because, although the research results came out, the final decision was going to be made by the National Assembly anyway?"