Lead

Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon offered to resign on Friday, hours after the National Assembly, led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), passed a bill aimed at abolishing the prosecution's direct investigative powers. Koo told reporters he submitted his resignation to take responsibility for the passage of the contested bill.

The revision to the Criminal Procedure Act passed a plenary session in a 175-2 vote with one abstention, after the Assembly voted in favor of a motion to stop a filibuster launched by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) the previous day.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting by Yonhap News Agency described the events consistently, noting the passage of the bill and the acting prosecutor general's immediate resignation offer. One report emphasized that Koo, as he left the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul, stressed the need for the prosecution to reflect on its failure to earn public trust while cautioning that reform should not hurt the fundamental value of the prosecution system. Another dispatch detailed the political fallout, including the PPP's call for a presidential veto and the presidential office's response.

The vote count and the procedural context — the stoppage of the PPP's filibuster — were uniform across the reports. The reports also outlined the bill's provisions, including stripping prosecutors of authority to conduct direct and supplementary investigations, with a new mechanism allowing prosecutors to request judicial police officers to carry out supplementary investigations.

Key Claims

  • The National Assembly passed a bill to abolish the prosecution's direct investigative powers, with a final vote of 175-2 and one abstention.
  • Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon offered to resign immediately after the vote, telling reporters he submitted his resignation to take responsibility for the revision.
  • Under the bill, prosecutors lose their authority to conduct direct investigations, including supplementary investigations; they may instead request that judicial police officers carry out supplementary investigations.
  • The PPP's floor leader, Jeong Jeom-sig, called on President Lee Jae Myung to veto the bill, describing it as "tailor-made legislation" for the president and warning it could be remembered as the "Lee Jae Myung escape-from-prison law" if not vetoed.
  • Cheong Wa Dae said it respects parliament's decision on the bill's passage and pledged to ensure the revised law is implemented smoothly.
  • The Assembly also introduced a revision to the National Assembly Act to shorten the review period for bills designated for fast track from a maximum of 330 days to 90 days.

Perspectives

Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon

Koo expressed disappointment and despair over the bill's passage, arguing that the reform would force prosecutors to rely solely on investigative records to decide on indictments and make it difficult to protect victims. He urged a review to ensure the bill does not create policy gaps or fail to protect the public.

People Power Party (PPP)

The main opposition party immediately called on President Lee Jae Myung to exercise his veto power. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig characterized the bill as "tailor-made legislation" for the president, whose own criminal trials are currently suspended, and urged a veto to avoid the law being remembered negatively.

Cheong Wa Dae

The presidential office said it "respects" parliament's decision on the bill's passage and pledged to ensure the revised law is implemented smoothly and that the public can feel its effects.