President Yoon has expressed that the core of prosecutorial reform should be the separation of investigation and prosecution, and argued against changing the title of the Prosecutor General to Prosecutor Chief.
On the 16th, President Yoon Seok-yeol emphasized the importance of separating investigation and prosecution as the key component of prosecutorial reform. He stated that whether to call the head of the prosecution 'Prosecutor General' as mandated by the Constitution or 'Prosecutor Chief' is not directly related to the matter of separating investigation and prosecution. His comments were made on social media after facing backlash from his supporters who questioned if he had changed his stance post-election regarding the proposed reforms.
In light of recent resistance from some hardline members of his party concerning legislation on establishing a new investigative agency and changing titles, President Yoon clarified his government's steadfast commitment to ensuring that the prosecution cannot interfere in investigations outside its constitutional mandate. He reaffirmed that the ultimate goal of separating investigation and prosecution is a confirmed national task that cannot be reversed.
President Yoon pointed out that while the preliminary legislative proposal has been modified through party discussions, he remains open to further amendments as long as they serve the main goal of separating investigations from prosecutions. He stressed that any revisions should not dilute the essence of prosecutorial reform or arise from unrelated motives for clarity but should genuinely assist in advancing the fundamental principles of reform within the justice system.
