Former Prosecutors and Senior Officials Urge President to Veto Law Abolishing Supplementary Investigation Authority

Prosecutors' Alumni Association: "Legislative Violence and Madness by the Democratic Party"
Fierce Backlash Follows Overhaul of the Criminal Justice System

After the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that fully abolishes the prosecution's authority to conduct supplementary investigations, former prosecutors general and senior officials have united in protest, calling on President Lee Jaemyung to exercise his right of reconsideration (veto).

Acting Prosecutor General Goh Ja-hyun hesitated as if at a loss for words while expressing his position immediately after the passage of the Criminal Procedure Act amendment at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong. Photo by Yonhap News.

On August 2, the Prosecutors’ Alumni Association—a fellowship of former prosecutors—released an official statement, declaring, "We strongly condemn the legislative dictatorship of the Democratic Party of Korea, which forcibly passed the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act," and added, "President Lee Jaemyung must exercise his veto on this bill in accordance with his convictions."

The Prosecutors’ Alumni Association, led by former Prosecutor General Han Sangdae, is composed of a large number of former senior officials from both the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution. They strongly criticized, "The Democratic Party of Korea pushed through the bill without proper review or debate, despite strong opposition from the Minister of Justice and the prosecution, concerns from the Supreme Court, and the president's stated opposition." They continued, "This act disregards the resentment of crime victims and the widespread opposition among the public; it is an act of arrogance by the ruling party—a form of madness and violence."

The statement went on to ask, "Who will be held responsible for the side effects, confusion, and despair of victims that will arise as a result?" It further emphasized, "The Constitutional Court must declare the amendment unconstitutional following the president’s veto. If that does not happen, we will continue to resist and fight alongside conscientious legal professionals, victim advocacy groups, and the people."

Previously, on July 31, the National Assembly passed the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, driven by the Democratic Party of Korea, which completely separates the powers of investigation and indictment. Under the amendment, prosecutors are deprived not only of their right to conduct direct investigations but also of their authority to carry out supplementary investigations; henceforth, they are only permitted to request supplementary investigation from judicial police officers. This effectively brings an end to prosecutors' investigative authority for the first time in 72 years.

Amid these seismic changes, which have shaken the foundation of the judicial system, senior leadership within the prosecution has tendered their resignations. Immediately following the passage of the amendment, Gu Ja-hyun, Acting Prosecutor General, announced his intention to resign, saying, "I feel a profound sense of responsibility for the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act."

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