Park Cheolwoo, Seoul Prosecution Office Chief: "Conflicted Over Shift to Prosecution Office... Sorry to Public for Unrestrained Exercise of Prosecutorial Powers" [2026 Parliamentary Audit]

"Functions to tackle major corruption and conduct direct supplementary investigations are gone"
On Park Eun-jung's call to reflect on the abuse of prosecutorial powers:
"We recognize there were instances that raised doubts about fairness"

Park Cheolwoo, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecution Office, said he "cannot help but feel deeply conflicted" about the abolition of the prosecution office and its replacement by the Prosecution Office. However, regarding the past exercise of prosecutorial powers, he said, "There were instances in which they were not exercised with sufficient restraint or were inconsistent with equity or fairness," adding, "I feel sorry to the public."

Park Cheolwoo, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, gives a briefing during a parliamentary audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Prosecutors' Office (formerly the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office) and other agencies, held by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 19th. Yonhap News Agency.

Park made the remarks on October 19 during a parliamentary audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Prosecution Office and its affiliated district prosecution offices by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. In response to a question from Rep. Kwak Gyu-taek of the People Power Party about his thoughts on the abolition of the prosecution office, he said, "Not only has the function of directly tackling major corruption disappeared, but so has the power to conduct supplementary investigations, which allowed us to take a second look at the results of investigations by primary investigative agencies such as the police and determine whether anything had been overlooked in serving the public."

He added, "I feel deeply conflicted that even the name has been changed to the Prosecution Office," but said, "There are functions that the prosecution must fulfill for the public. I intend to do my utmost to serve those functions, without clinging to the past, for as long as necessary."

When Rep. Kim Yong-min of the Democratic Party of Korea asked whether Park's remarks meant that the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency could not perform the function of tackling major corruption, Park explained that he meant only that the function had disappeared from the Prosecution Office, adding, "I did not mean that the country no longer has such a function."

Later, when Rep. Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party said that reflection on the past abuse of prosecutorial powers was necessary, Park responded, "Since my days as a rank-and-file prosecutor, I have believed that the right path for a prosecutor is to exercise prosecutorial powers with restraint and in a way that meets the public's expectations." He added, "In recent years, there have been instances in which prosecutorial powers were exercised without sufficient restraint, in ways that were inequitable, or in ways that raised doubts about fairness."

When Rep. Park again asked whether there was anything to reflect on, Park said, "I recognize that there were instances in which prosecutorial powers were exercised without sufficient restraint or in ways that were inconsistent with equity or fairness, and I feel sorry to the public."

The Prosecution Office, which was launched on October 2 following the abolition of the prosecution office, has relinquished its powers to conduct direct investigations and direct supplementary investigations. It is now responsible for filing and maintaining prosecutions and requesting supplementary investigations, among other duties.

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