Ranking prosecutors have jointly expressed their opposition to the Democratic Party’s legislative drive to strip the state prosecution of its investigative powers as part of prosecution reform. 

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on Monday held a meeting of top prosecutors, including Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo and the heads of 18 district prosecutors’ offices across the nation. 

During the hours-long meeting, the participants argued changes to the criminal justice system made since last year have caused delay in processing and punishing criminal cases. 

A “hasty passage” of the bill aimed at revoking the prosecution’s probing powers will make things worse, they added, arguing the public will bear the brunt of the potential damage. 

The senior prosecutors said prosecutorial investigation is an essential procedure to establish facts in a criminal case and resolve resentment held by those involved. They said abolishing it will strip them of their reason for existence, which is to defend judicial justice and protect human rights. 

They called on parliament to form a special committee and draw up “reasonable” measures to improve the criminal justice system by reflecting a broad range of opinions from experts and the public.