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Reckless prosecutorial reform unlikely to succeed

Published: 20 Aug. 2025, 00:01

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaks during a press briefing at the annex building of the Seoul Government Complex in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, on August 19. [YONHAP]

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok urged the ruling party to slow down its push for prosecutorial reform in a press briefing Tuesday. Kim said, “The need for reform, the problems of politically driven prosecutors in the past, and the separation of indictment and investigation have all been pledged during the presidential campaign and reaffirmed by the government and ruling party.” But he added, “While the overall direction has been set, there are still significant differences of opinion between the Democratic Party (DP) and the Rebuilding Korea Party. On such an important matter, it is better to proceed carefully so the public does not feel the process is hasty or sloppy.” Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik echoed the same message in a separate briefing, saying, “President Lee Jae Myung believes prosecutorial reform is not something to be done piecemeal multiple times, but properly and comprehensively, once and for all.”

Their remarks align with President Lee’s instruction to Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho at the Cabinet meeting the previous day. The president stressed, “On sensitive and core issues, there must be a public deliberation process to fully inform the people.” This tone contrasts sharply with the stance of DP Chairman Jung Cheong-rae, who has repeatedly vowed since the party convention to “serve up a bill to abolish the prosecution on the Chuseok [Oct. 6] holiday table.” Jung had been rushing to table the bill in the September regular session to ensure passage before Chuseok. But with the president, the prime minister and the presidential chief of staff all urging restraint, momentum has slowed.

Kim also suggested holding parliamentary debates or public hearings to explain the reform plan to the public — a process that would inevitably take time. On the idea of placing a new National Investigation Commission under the prime minister’s office, Kim said, “I am not confident that the commission would be capable of reviewing or directing substantive investigative matters.” In effect, he questioned whether the proposal itself should be reconsidered. On stripping prosecutors of all investigative authority, he added, “Concerns that investigations into livelihood-related cases may suffer must also be thoroughly discussed.”

The rare appearance of both the prime minister and the presidential chief of staff before reporters reflects growing unease over plummeting approval ratings for both President Lee’s governance and the DP. Critics point to the pardon of Cho Kuk, the former leader of Rebuilding Korea Party, the aggressive push for media, prosecutorial and judicial reforms, and the hardline stance of the DP chairman — who declared he would “not even shake hands with the opposition” — as factors behind the slide. On the falling approval numbers, Kim said, “What the people want are two things: overcoming national division and revitalizing the economy and livelihoods. There is no royal road other than consistently pursuing those goals.”

The current contradiction — the party stepping on the accelerator while the government calls for caution — must end. The public is left confused about where the ruling bloc truly stands. Reforms forced through recklessly cannot succeed. The government and ruling party must focus on persuading the public and keeping channels of dialogue open with the opposition.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.