Chung Jeom-sik Chokes Up Over Abolition of the Prosecution Service: "South Korea's Criminal Investigation System Is Now Dead"

[Financial News] People Power Party floor leader Chung Jeom-sik said on the 2nd, when the SPO was abolished and the Public Prosecution Office and Serious Crime Investigation Agency were launched, "South Korea's criminal investigation system is now dead." He also appeared to choke up with emotion.
Chung Jeom-sik held a meeting on preparations for the parliamentary audit at the National Assembly that day and said, "As of today, the prosecution has been abolished, and prosecutors' supplementary investigations have also disappeared." Chung, a former prosecutor, reddened his eyes during his remarks and became so choked up that he was unable to continue speaking.
Chung Jeom-sik said, "In the prosecution's 78-year history of glory and disgrace, prosecutors clearly did things wrong as well. We must reflect on our wrongdoing." He nevertheless asked, "But is abolishing everything simply because there was wrongdoing the answer? Is smashing everything to pieces the solution?"
He continued, "It is said that the average processing time for criminal cases increased 2.2-fold, from 140 days to 312 days, over the past five years following the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution under the Moon Jae-in administration in 2021." He added, "Issues involving the concealment and burying of investigations by the corrupt Hyangchal also came to light in cases such as the Jang Yun-gi murder case and the Jeju missing-person case that was closed."
He criticized the changes, saying, "Meanwhile, police investigations into politicians, including lawmakers Kim Byung-gi and Jang Kyung-tae, have repeatedly fizzled out as toothless probes in the face of those in power. The CIO has degenerated into the regime's lapdog, granting Special Counsel Min Joung-kie a pass with a finding of no wrongdoing, and into the regime's Gestapo, pointing its sword at Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae." He called it "a prosecution overhaul that harmed the people and benefited the Democratic Party."
Chung Jeom-sik said, "As if that were not enough, they have now dismantled the prosecution and even abolished supplementary investigations." He claimed, "This is a grave historical crime that has driven the people's public safety into a dead end for their own political gain."
He emphasized, "The People Power Party is sorry to the people that it was unable to prevent the death of South Korea's criminal investigation system. But we will regroup and redouble our efforts." He added, "We will restore the criminal justice system to normal. We will first introduce and pursue a bill to restore supplementary investigations."

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