Choo Mi-ae Warns "Hong Ki-won's Bill Risks Reverting to an Undemocratic Prosecutorial System"

Choo Mi-ae, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, criticized Assemblyman Hong Ki-won of the Democratic Party of Korea on July 19 for sponsoring an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that would allow the prosecution to conduct supplementary investigations in exceptional circumstances, saying, "There is a strong risk of reverting to the most undemocratic prosecutorial system."

On this day, Governor Choo stated on her social networking service, Facebook, "In the early hours, I appeal to the members of the National Assembly who bear the fate of prosecutorial reform," expressing her criticism.

Choo Mi-ae, Governor of Gyeonggi Province. The Asia Business Daily Database

Referencing examples from Japan and Germany, she pointed out, "Our prosecutorial system has its roots in the German system, but, as a derivative of the Japanese model, it possesses excessively powerful and uncontrollable authority."

She then strongly criticized Assemblyman Hong's bill, stating, "By maintaining the system that grants the prosecution a monopoly over the right to indict—allowing them to distort cases or engage in selective prosecution at their discretion—while still acknowledging investigative powers, this would nullify all previous efforts and send us back to the pre-Moon Jae-in administration era."

Previously, on July 11, in relation to the controversy over the police investigation of the Jang Yunki case, Governor Choo said, "Even if there is some distrust or anxiety about the police having exclusive responsibility for investigations, this cannot be used as an excuse to delay reforms of the prosecution, which usurped democratic constitutional order." She also posted a rebuttal on July 17 disputing the claim that the abolition of supplementary investigative powers was not the party's official position.

At that time, Governor Choo said, "There is a serious error and contradiction in claiming that the abolition of supplementary investigative powers is not the party position merely because it did not go through the formal decision-making process," and added, "The abolition of prosecutorial investigative powers was repeatedly declared by the party leader and the floor leader, and it was a major presidential campaign pledge before that. Even if the formal party process was not followed, it can be confirmed at a general party meeting."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.