Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyun warns of scrapping supplementary investigation powers, saying it would "conceal the truth"

[Financial News] Koo Ja-hyun, acting prosecutor general of South Korea, voiced concern over discussions to amend the Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea to abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers, saying it would "bring down the criminal justice system."
In a statement on the 29th, Koo said, "As has been confirmed in many recent cases, if prosecutors lose their effective role in reviewing, supplementing and correcting the investigative work of primary investigative agencies, the truth will be concealed."
He added, "The criminal justice system of the Republic of Korea will collapse," and said, "The resulting damage will fall above all on the public, who need the state's protection most."
Referring to public opinion, the legal community, and women's and victims' groups that want the supplementary investigation powers to remain, Koo stressed, "This shows that the 'institutional reform' the public envisions is not simply about stripping prosecutors of authority, but about moving in a direction that protects people from crime."
He continued, "I believe the National Assembly is well aware of this," and requested that lawmakers "carefully examine what a criminal justice system for the public should look like during the upcoming discussions, including the full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, so that all citizens are fully protected by the law and no one is left pleading unfair treatment."
Earlier, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee approved a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea at its Subcommittee on Bill Review No. 1 the previous day, with the DPK leading the vote.
The amendment would, in principle, ban prosecutors from conducting direct investigations and eliminate their supplementary investigation powers, while leaving only the authority to request supplementary investigations from the police.
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter