Overview
- Approved at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, the revision will be promulgated immediately, launching a grace period ahead of the Prosecution Service’s formal abolition on Oct. 1, 2026.
- Investigations will shift to a Serious Crimes Investigation Agency under the Interior Ministry, while a new indictment office under the Justice Ministry will take charging authority.
- Retired prosecutors and former justice ministers say they will file constitutional complaints after promulgation, challenging the legality of abolishing the prosecution office under Article 89 and related precedents.
- During the transition, the Justice Ministry and Supreme Prosecutors’ Office plan to submit opinions to preserve full case transfers and supplementary-investigation powers, citing risks of investigative delays seen in fraud and embezzlement cases handled by police.
- President Lee criticized prosecutors’ frequent appeals of acquittals and directed the justice minister to review curbs, including possible revisions to the Criminal Procedure Act.