Woo Sangho: "Prosecution Reform Roadmap Presented... High Level of Agreement with Party"

Legislation to Begin with Amendment of Government Organization Act by End of September
Implementation to Follow Sufficient Preparation Period
Woo Briefed President Lee 30 Minutes Before Ruling Party Dinner; President Lee Responded, "Sounds Good"

Woo Sangho, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, reaffirmed that the Presidential Office and the Democratic Party of Korea have agreed to prioritize explicitly stipulating the separation of investigation and prosecution through a revision of the Government Organization Act by the end of September, as part of their efforts to promote prosecutorial reform. He emphasized once again that if the organization law, currently designating the Prosecutors' Office, is revised to specify the Prosecution Office for indictments and an Investigation Office specializing in investigations, the separation of investigation and prosecution will be clearly stated in the organization law, effectively leading to the dismantling of the Prosecutors' Office. He also highlighted that there was a consensus to implement these changes after carefully considering all aspects in accordance with the law and allowing sufficient time for review.

Yonhap News

On August 21, during a briefing and press conference at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Woo Sangho addressed the controversy over the "difference in pace" between the Democratic Party and the Presidential Office regarding prosecutorial reform. He said that he believed it would be appropriate to present a "roadmap" and therefore proposed revising the Government Organization Act first. "Thirty minutes before attending a dinner with the ruling party leadership on the previous day (August 20), I reported to the President and received his approval, saying, 'That sounds good.' Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheongrae also expressed satisfaction, and the level of consensus was very high," he explained. As concerns were raised about hasty legislation due to Jeong's pledge to complete the reform before Chuseok and his push for speed, the parties decided to proceed in stages.

Regarding the legislative timeline, Woo stated, "The current plan is to pass the revision of the Government Organization Act by the end of September," adding, "It could be delayed by one or two weeks, depending on internal coordination and the level of discussion." However, he clarified, "Nothing has been finalized yet; we only have goals and plans."

On the timing of implementation, he said, "Since we need to prepare for the implementation period, it could be set for three months or two months after the amendment passes, so it will be enforced after a certain period." He further explained, "The current target is after the regular National Assembly session ends in December this year, but as mentioned, if discussions are delayed, the implementation period will inevitably be pushed back as well." The plan is to allow sufficient preparation time after the National Assembly passes the bill. Regarding the direction of government organizational restructuring, he added, "It is not finalized yet; proposals from the National Policy Committee have been delivered in several areas, and we are in the process of narrowing differences based on those."

Meanwhile, regarding the decline in the President's approval ratings, Woo commented, "The fact that some members of the public have withdrawn their support must be taken seriously," diagnosing that there were painful aspects in personnel matters, some public disappointment over the pardoning of politicians, and controversies involving Democratic Party lawmakers, all of which may have contributed.

He continued, "The aides are determined to tighten their shoelaces and make a fresh start," adding, "After President Lee completes his overseas trip, starting in September, the focus will shift to programs aimed at stabilizing people's livelihoods and reviving the economy." He also mentioned plans to resume "town hall meetings."

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