Prosecution Agency prosecutors face their first parliamentary audit: “We’ll hear appellants’ views first”

[Financial News] The Prosecution Agency faced its first parliamentary audit just 17 days after its launch. The Seoul Metropolitan Prosecution Agency said it plans to hear the views of people involved in appeal cases first and make use of a conflict-healing system. By contrast, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecution Agency expressed dismay over the loss of investigative powers and even the change in its name.
According to legal circles on the 19th, the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a parliamentary audit that morning at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, covering 11 institutions, including the Seoul and Suwon Metropolitan Prosecution Agencies and nine District Prosecution Agencies. It was the first audit since the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office of the Republic of Korea (SPO) was abolished and investigation and indictment were separated.
Acting Seoul Metropolitan Prosecution Agency chief Jeong Yong-hwan said, “Before handling appeals, we listen to the views of appellants and other people involved in the cases, and work to resolve disputes by making use of the conflict-healing system.” An appeal is a procedure for asking a higher-level agency to review a decision, such as a prosecutor’s decision not to indict, when a party disagrees with it. This appears to be an effort by the Prosecution Agency, which has relinquished direct investigations, to find a role in post-decision remedies.
The acting chief said, “The Financial and Securities Crimes Joint Investigation Division and the Virtual Asset Crimes Joint Investigation Division at the Seoul Southern District Prosecution Agency were reorganized under the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency after the Prosecution Agency was launched.” He added, “We plan to work with relevant agencies to respond to financial and securities crimes and virtual asset crimes.”
The joint investigation divisions’ results were also reported. From its launch in May 2023 through September this year, the Financial and Securities Crimes Joint Investigation Division detained 54 people accused of disrupting order in the capital market, indicted 691, and provisionally froze about 3.8 trillion won in criminal proceeds pending forfeiture. Since its launch in July 2023, the Virtual Asset Crimes Joint Investigation Division has detained 33 people, indicted 206, and provisionally frozen about 71.4 billion won pending forfeiture. From July 2022 through May this year, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecution Agency’s Joint Investigation Division on Voice Phishing Crimes booked 1,381 people as suspects and detained 526.
At the same hearing, Seoul Central District Prosecution Agency chief Park Cheol-woo made remarks of a different tenor. Regarding the loss of the supplementary investigation function and the change of the agency’s name to the Prosecution Agency, Park said, “I cannot help feeling deeply troubled.” He also said he would do his utmost to carry out the prosecution service’s core functions.
The biggest issue at the day’s audit was whether to withdraw the indictments in cases involving President Lee Jae-myung. The Seoul Central District Prosecution Agency is handling development corruption cases in Daejang-dong, Wirye New Town and Baekhyeon-dong, as well as the Seongnam FC sponsorship case. The Suwon District Prosecution Agency is handling cases involving Ssangbangwool’s remittances to North Korea and the misuse of Gyeonggi Province’s corporate credit card. Of the 19 cases under review by the Ministry of Justice’s Committee on Respect for Human Rights in the Prosecution Service and Its Future, President Lee has been indicted in six. On the 15th, the committee received an investigative team’s report on three cases, including development corruption in Wirye New Town, but requested further investigation and agreed to discuss them again on the 29th.
The parliamentary audit of the Prosecution Agency headquarters will be held on the 22nd.
[email protected] Kim Dong-gyu Reporter