Prosecutor General Kim Osu Submits Resignation Letter... "Taking Responsibility for the 'Geomsu Wanbak' Crisis"

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo is arriving at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 21st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Regarding the 'Geomsu Wanbak' (Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights) bill, Prosecutor General Kim Osu submitted his resignation on the 22nd after Speaker of the National Assembly Park Byeongseok proposed a mediation plan that the Democratic Party and the People Power Party expressed their willingness to accept.

On the afternoon of the same day, an official from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "Prosecutor General Kim Osu will take responsibility for all these situations and submit his resignation."

Earlier that morning, Prosecutor General Kim, while on his way to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, told reporters regarding the bill response issue, "Now is the time for the National Assembly," adding, "My sincere hope is that through sufficient discussion and careful consideration, the right decision will be made for the people." The day before, he met with Speaker Park Byeongseok for 40 minutes, conveying the unfairness of Geomsu Wanbak and the position of the prosecution.

Speaker Park Byeongseok delivered a mediation plan on Geomsu Wanbak to the floor leaders of both parties, which separates the prosecution's direct investigation rights and prosecution rights but maintains the prosecution's direct investigation rights temporarily.

The mediation plan, consisting of a total of eight points, aims to separate the prosecution's direct investigation rights and prosecution rights, with the prosecution's direct investigation rights being temporary, and even in cases of direct investigation, the investigating and prosecuting prosecutors are to be separated.

Regarding the prosecution's existing investigation of six major crimes, it proposes to "delete public official crimes, election crimes, defense industry crimes, and large-scale disasters," and states, "Once other investigative agencies outside the prosecution reach a certain level of crime response capability, the prosecution's direct investigation rights will be abolished." It also suggests, "To reduce the total amount of direct investigations by the prosecution, the six special divisions will be reduced to three," and "the number of prosecutors in the remaining three special divisions will also be limited to a certain level."

The mediation plan also includes the formation of a Judicial Reform Special Committee, which will be granted the authority to review legislation and conduct in-depth discussions on the entire judicial system, including the tentative 'Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Korean-style FBI)'.

The Serious Crime Investigation Agency is ordered to complete legislative measures within six months after the special committee is formed and aims to be launched within one year. The Judicial Reform Special Committee consists of 13 members, with the chairperson from the Democratic Party, and members composed of seven from the Democratic Party, five from the People Power Party, and one from a minor party. It also includes provisions that crimes committed by officials of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gongsoocheo) are included in the prosecution's duties, and that the prosecution reform bill will be processed in this April's extraordinary session of the National Assembly and implemented four months after promulgation.

Park Honggeun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, and Kwon Seongdong, floor leader of the People Power Party, announced their acceptance of Speaker Park's mediation plan. Floor leader Kwon stated, "Once both parties accept, there will be a sequence to announce the agreement under the chairmanship of the Speaker, and the Criminal Procedure Act and the Prosecutors' Office Act will be amended and processed at the plenary session next week," adding, "The two parties have compromised within the scope that does not fundamentally shake the criminal justice system of the Republic of Korea, eradicating corruption and avoiding creating unjust victims."

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