Ruling party hails end of prosecution agency after 78 years; PPP voices concerns over overhaul

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) in South Korea hailed the end of the prosecution agency after 78 years on Friday, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) voiced concerns over the overhaul. The prosecution office was abolished as part of a reform drive aimed at stripping prosecutors of their investigative powers, following criticism that they had exercised excessive authority.

Two new agencies, the Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), were launched earlier in the day. The DP welcomed the reform, stating that the new system would better protect people's lives and safeguard human rights by removing prosecutors' unchecked power of holding both investigative and indictment rights.

However, the PPP raised concerns about potential safeguards for victims and the lack of preparedness of the new agencies. The PPP argued that the new agencies were launched without being fully prepared to handle criminal cases due to staffing shortages and a leadership vacuum. The SCIA began operations with only about 1,900 employees, or 66 percent of the total workforce capacity of 2,874, and lacked a chief.