On the 19th, when the ruling party-led bill to establish the Public Prosecution Office was placed on the agenda of the National Assembly's plenary session, acting Prosecutor General Gu Ja-hyeon said to all members of the prosecution that it was regrettable that broad communication had not taken place during the legislative process.
According to legal sources, Acting Chief Gu said in an email to all members of the prosecution that afternoon, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has made multifaceted efforts to establish the constitutional status and role of the prosecutor general and prosecutors, and to design an organizational structure that allows the public to feel tangible benefits and enables members of the prosecution to faithfully perform their original roles."
He continued, "As acting prosecutor general, I feel sorry that these efforts were not sufficiently reflected in the current Public Prosecution Office Act bill," adding, "I believe the prosecution family is also deeply distressed."
Acting Chief Gu also said, "As acting prosecutor general, I express regret that, during the legislative process, broader communication and consensus-building did not occur regarding the protection of the public's rights and interests through the proper operation of the criminal justice system, and the guarantee of the prosecution's political neutrality and independence."
He added, "The prosecution still has a constitutionally mandated role, and we all know that many people are waiting for the prosecution to fulfill that role and uncover the substantive truth," and "As always, we will find and prepare the best course of action within the given circumstances."
Acting Chief Gu concluded by saying, "In preparing various follow-up measures for the implementation of the Public Prosecution Office Act going forward, please pool the wisdom of the prosecution family."
Meanwhile, the National Assembly held a plenary session that day and placed the bill to establish the Public Prosecution Office on the agenda. The core is to abolish the prosecution's authority to direct and supervise special judicial police officers and to limit prosecutors' official powers by law. Under the principle of separating investigation and indictment, the Public Prosecution Office will handle only indictments and will operate under a three-tier system: Public Prosecution Office, Metropolitan Public Prosecution Office, and Local Public Prosecution Office.
The People Power Party launched a filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings through unlimited debate), saying, "In the end, the public will suffer." The Democratic Party plans, under the National Assembly Act, to forcibly end the filibuster with a vote to close debate at 24 hours after it begins, at 2 p.m. on the 20th, and then put the Public Prosecution Office Act to a vote.