Nationwide Rank-and-File Prosecutors’ Meeting Scheduled for May 9

Prosecutors are expanding their collective opposition to a revision of criminal procedure law being pushed by the Presidential Commission on Judicial Reform (co-chaired by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan and Attorney Han Seung-heon).

Following a plenary session of some 90 rank-and-file prosecutors of the Seoul District Public Prosecutors’ Office on May 2, some 60 such prosecutors of the Busan District Public Prosecutors’ Office, about 60 from the Daegu District Public Prosecutors’ Office, and about 40 from the Daejeon District Public Prosecutors’ Office convened separate meetings to discuss whether to hold a nationwide rank-and-file prosecutors’ meeting.

Against this backdrop, it seems highly likely that a nationwide rank-and-file prosecutors’ meeting will be held around May 9 when the presidential commission is planning to hold a working meeting of vice ministers. The commission is expected to discuss the criminal procedure law reform in that meeting.

The conflict between the commission and the prosecutors is predicted to continue for a while, as the commission plans to conclude the draft of a revised criminal procedure law on May 4, and have a working meeting on May 9.

Moon Jae-in, the presidential secretary for civil affairs, expressed his concerns over the action of the prosecutors on May 3, saying, “It is inappropriate to take measures that can be mistaken for collective opposition.”

Moon said, “A working meeting of vice ministers and a plenary session of the presidential commission will be held on May 9 and May 16, respectively,” adding, “If the prosecution feels that there is something wrong with the commission, it should express its opinion (via discussion), and it is free to do so.”

Meanwhile, Kim Jong-bin, the prosecutor general, was wary of a possible over-interpretation of the prosecutors’ meeting in question, saying, “It is natural that those who work in investigation express their opinions concerning a fundamental change in the investigation environment,” adding, “That is not collective opposition.”

jin0619@donga.com