207 representatives of public prosecutors from all over the country, who held a nationwide meeting for the first time in 19 years, expressed their opposition to the 'completely deprived of the prosecution's investigation authority' bill and expressed their stance that they would make efforts to secure the impartiality and neutrality of the prosecution's investigation.
In a statement released today (20th) after the all-night meeting, the National Assembly of Prosecutors' Representatives said, "Our reviewers are seriously aware of the public's criticism of the prosecution. It is because of the desperate feeling that it may become difficult to protect the people from most crimes against the livelihood and large-scale economic crimes,” he said.
They said, "The 'check-and-run' bill made it impossible for prosecutors to verify even the basic facts, creating a lot of unfair victims, and abolishing the procedure that can provide relief even if you object to the prosecutor's judgment," they said. "It has even eliminated the opportunity to correct errors in the search and seizure process, where mistakes and human rights violations are large," he said.
He continued, "It is a 'crime that blinds prosecutors and binds hands and feet to create a 'country where crime is rampant but no criminals', and blocks the powerless people from protecting their rights and interests on their own, giving indulgences to criminals and exacerbating suffering for victims. It will degenerate into a ‘neglect method’.”
"There are claims that the 'examination and overhaul' bill is a 'global standard' and that developed countries separate prosecution and investigation, but it is not true," the representatives of the reviewers said.
In addition, he pointed out, "The law arbitrarily interprets the constitution and deprives prosecutors of both the investigative power and the right to request a warrant directly, and also recognizes the police's right to request a warrant directly, which is highly likely to go against the Constitution."
They said, "Even the legal community, academia, and civic groups, who have been critical of the prosecution, are unanimously opposing the 'check-and-run' bill on the grounds of chaos in the judicial system and weakening of its ability to respond to corruption crimes. It is sad and worrisome that this is being enforced,” he said.
The judges also suggested measures to ensure the fairness and neutrality of the prosecution's investigations, such as the introduction of an external control system that allows the public to participate in the investigation of serious crimes and the regularization of a meeting of the representatives of the public prosecutor's office, which is the internal checkpoint of the prosecution.
"We will do our best to restore the trust of the public, starting with the public prosecutors," the meeting of the representatives of the public prosecutors added.