Yang Hong-seok, Head of the Public Interest Law Center at People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Resigns... "Questions on the Direction of Prosecutor-Police Investigation Authority Adjustment"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Yang Hong-seok, head of the Public Interest Law Center at People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, has expressed his intention to resign. This came along with his view that "there are doubts about whether the prosecution and police investigation authority adjustment bill is the right direction."

On the 15th, Yang posted on his Facebook, stating, "There have been many concerns because the position of People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy on criminal justice, and furthermore on the Moon Jae-in administration's reform of power institutions, differs from my own thoughts."

Yang explained, "The difference in opinion on whether it is reform or anti-reform has already gone beyond a level that can be simply overlooked," adding, "In this situation, it is inappropriate for me to continue holding a position at People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, so I have decided to step down."

He pointed out, "Even if the direction to guarantee more autonomy and accountability in police investigations than now is correct, limiting the timing, scope, and method of prosecution's involvement in investigation procedures is at least unfair from the perspective of protecting citizens' fundamental rights."

Referring to his activities at the Public Interest Law Center, Yang added, "A bird that has broken one of its wings by itself cannot fly further, but it cannot flap its wings in an undesired direction either."

Earlier, on the 14th, People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy issued a statement evaluating that the passage of the prosecution and police investigation authority adjustment bill "is significant in that it divided the authority that the prosecution had virtually monopolized."

Lawyer Yang has been active at the Public Interest Law Center for over ten years, starting as an executive committee member in 2008, handling cases such as the unconstitutionality lawsuit on social network service (SNS) election campaigns, criminal cases related to freedom of expression, and injunction cases against the prohibition of candlelight rallies.

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