Korea abolishes Prosecutors' Office after 78 years, putting new criminal justice system to test
Korea on Friday abolished the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office after 78 years and launched two new state agencies dividing its investigative and prosecutorial powers, ushering in one of the most sweeping changes to the country’s criminal justice system in decades. Under the new framework taking effect Friday, investigations will be divided among the newly established Serious Crimes Investigation…
Korea has disbanded the Supreme Prosecutors' Office after seven decades, implementing a new criminal justice system that puts questions about its effectiveness to the test. The country has established a Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), a police force, and a Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to share investigative duties.
The newly formed Prosecution Service will be responsible for reviewing cases, deciding on indictments, requesting court warrants based on investigative agency applications, and conducting prosecutions in court.
However, the transition to the new system has raised several concerns. It remains unclear how agencies will manage cases with overlapping jurisdiction, whether prosecutors will be able to provide adequate oversight without their own investigative powers, and if the new agencies are properly staffed and equipped to handle complex major-crime investigations.
In the lead-up to the overhaul, the prosecutor's office had been preparing for the change but the details and implications of the new system have yet to be fully explored.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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