Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice on the 14th addressed the controversy sparked by claims within the ruling camp that prosecutors at the Public Prosecution Office should not have supplementary investigation authority, saying, "In the National Assembly, not only our party but also our people should now discuss what system is best for the people."
The Minister met with reporters on the way to work at the government complex in Gwacheon where the Ministry of Justice is located and said, "Rather than saying what is good and what is evil, the president, before departing the country, said in effect that 'it would be good to engage in deliberation,'" adding the same point.
The Blue House said that President Lee Jae-myung the previous day ordered, "With regard to prosecution reform and supplementary investigation authority, the party should engage in sufficient discussion and deliberation, and the government should collect those opinions."
This instruction came as the Prosecution Reform Promotion Team under the Prime Minister's Office on the 12th gave advance notice of legislation for a bill establishing the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCI) to separate investigation and indictment in principle, drawing backlash from hard-liners within the Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party. The government has not yet decided whether to allow supplementary investigations by prosecutors at the Public Prosecution Office. It decided to discuss the matter during the amendment process for the Criminal Procedure Act.
Not only hard-liners in the ruling camp but also Prime Minister Kim Min-seok wrote on Facebook on the 13th, "On supplementary investigation authority, we have consistently said that abolition is the principle," adding, "We will do our best to prepare a final plan that preserves the essence of prosecution reform." Asked about this, the Minister said, "I'm not sure what the prime minister meant."
On the 12th, the Minister attended the full session of The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and when Rep. Kim Yong-min of the Democratic Party of Korea criticized the prosecution reform plan and the prosecution, the Minister said, "The prosecution under the Lee Jae-myung administration is not like that. It will not be run like the prosecution under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration." The Minister added, "I hope people do not view all members of the prosecution as criminals."
Regarding this remark, the Minister said the same day, "Since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, the prosecution has already been operating in line with the intent to separate investigation and indictment," adding, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, the prosecution strongly resisted reform, but now it is faithfully carrying out its original duties in line with the president's policy direction."
The Minister said, "President Lee Jae-myung is someone who suffered from the prosecution no less than former President Kim Dae-jung," adding, "More than anyone, he is convinced that the prosecution must be reborn as an institution for the people, protecting the safety of the people, and faithful to its original obligations."
The Minister added, "The government's current bill also came after much deliberation, but there will still be shortcomings," and said, "We hope those points will be discussed calmly in the National Assembly together with the people."
Leaders in the ruling camp also argue that prosecutors at the Public Prosecution Office should not have supplementary investigation authority. Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae appeared on a YouTube broadcast the previous day and said, "Regarding prosecution reform, the overarching principle is the separation of investigation and indictment, and if the Prosecution Service is abolished, prosecutors should only maintain indictments."
Regarding the plan to bifurcate SCI personnel into "investigative judicial officers" drawn from legal professionals and "specialized investigators" drawn from nonlegal professionals, leader Jung said, "Lawmakers in the party think it is undesirable, and the Supreme Council members feel the same."