Koo Ja-hyun, who had served as acting prosecutor general in his role as deputy prosecutor general of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, criticized the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority as he stepped down, saying it "has in some respects undermined the foundation of the prosecutorial system." He urged prosecutors, who face the launch of a new public prosecution service next month, not to be swayed by political pressure and to judge cases according to law and principle.
Koo made the remarks in a farewell message posted on the prosecution's internal network, E-Pros, on the 22nd, according to legal circles. "The legislation was pushed through without sufficient review of what it means to block prosecutors from directly examining facts and evidence in order to establish the substantive truth," he said.
Koo noted that concerns had been raised across society during the overhaul, including by the media, the legal and academic communities and women's groups. "I shared the sense of how serious this was and did my best in my own way, but there were situations where it was not enough," he added.
He stressed that prosecutors should bring to public discussion and correct the problems that emerge in actual implementation, rather than responding to the overhaul emotionally. "Please look at the situation with a somewhat cooler and calmer eye," Koo said, asking prosecutors to carry out their duties faithfully while documenting flaws in the system and pursuing procedures to fix them quickly.
He predicted that prosecutors' role as judicial officers would become even more important after the new prosecution service is launched. That role "will be far more emphasized and will become a core value of the work," Koo said. "I hope you will not be swayed by political pressure and, as you always have, judge solely according to law and principle and make decisions with composure."
Koo submitted his resignation on July 31, immediately after the National Assembly passed a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act stripping prosecutors of their supplementary investigation authority. His resignation was accepted on the 22nd, about two months after he announced his intention to step down.
The Ministry of Justice appointed Lee Jung-hyun, head of the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, as the next deputy prosecutor general, effective the 23rd. With the post of prosecutor general vacant, Lee will serve as acting prosecutor general and lead preparations for the launch of the new prosecution service.
