Boiling Prosecutor Internal Network... Some Praise Revival of the 'Prosecutor Unity Principle'

Over 100 Criticism Posts on 검수완박
'Self-Diagnosis Test' Emerges
Posts Explaining Side Effects to Son
Pro-Government and Anti-Government Both Oppose
Evidence of Significant Internal Backlash

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The 12th marks a turning point for the realization of ‘Geomsu Wanbak (Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights).’ Internal sentiment within the prosecution is growing increasingly heated.

As of 11 a.m. that day, more than 100 posts and comments directly or indirectly criticizing Geomsu Wanbak were posted on the prosecution’s internal network ‘Eprose.’

All were written under real names. It is the outcry of prosecutors who, knowing that personnel retaliation could occur due to policy criticism, risked their positions to voice their concerns.

The types of posts varied. Most were simple critiques written logically with supporting evidence, but there was even a ‘Geomsu Wanbak Self-Diagnosis Test’ reminiscent of the ‘COVID-19 self-test kits.’ Prosecutor Kim Chi-hoon of Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office created and posted 10 questions, explaining, “I made these questions so that the public can test for themselves whether they support Geomsu Wanbak.” Jeong Gyeong-jin, head of the Human Rights Protection Division at Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, wrote a post titled “Dad! What happens if Geomsu Wanbak is implemented?” explaining to his son the possible side effects of the Geomsu Wanbak bill.

Eprose has become heated for the first time in two years. After President Moon Jae-in’s New Year press conference in January 2020, then-prosecutor Kim Woong (now a member of the People Power Party) posted a message criticizing the ‘Prosecution-Police Investigation Rights Adjustment Plan’ as a huge fraud and expressed his intention to resign, which drew 500 comments. It was the first time since over 120 posts were made in November-December of the same year when then-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl (now President-elect) was suspended for two months.

The legal community regards Eprose as a barometer of prosecutorial public opinion. From this perspective, the recent surge in activity on Eprose is seen as evidence that there is significant opposition within the prosecution to Geomsu Wanbak. Regardless of pro-government or anti-government camps, all prosecutors have expressed opposition to Geomsu Wanbak, leading to an assessment that the long-dormant ‘principle of prosecutorial unity’ has been revived. Until 2 p.m., just before the Democratic Party holds a general assembly at the National Assembly to discuss the Geomsu Wanbak bill, prosecutors are expected to continue expressing their opposition through various channels and methods.

Most prosecutors worry about the side effects that could arise if Geomsu Wanbak is implemented, effectively transforming the prosecution into a ‘Public Prosecutor’s Office’ responsible only for indictments, while the police take charge of investigations for all cases. They argue that no matter how well the police investigate, there are limits and potential mistakes, and in such cases, prosecutors who are well-versed in the law should be able to provide supplementary investigations and support so that the public can receive proper ‘service.’ There are also many concerns about the paralysis of the prosecutorial organization’s functions and the overexpansion of the police organization.

Senior officials who voiced a unified stance at the previous day’s prosecutors’ chiefs meeting are emphasizing the ‘people’ in their public relations efforts. Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo appealed on his way to work in the morning, saying, “I expect a wise decision” and “I have a heartfelt hope.” Daegu District Prosecutor Kim Hu-gon appeared on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ and said, “Taking away the entire investigative function of the prosecution because of a few excessive investigations is like burning down a thatched house to catch a flea,” adding, “If prosecutors cannot request supplementary investigations from the police or collect evidence themselves, the public’s suffering will soon increase.”

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