Outgoing prosecution chief calls for internal reform

Outgoing chief prosecutor Kim Soo-nam called for self-reflection and self-reformation in his farewell message Monday, as a major overhaul looms for the nation’s powerful law enforcement agency.

“I am leaving, but the prosecution has a grave task to restore the public trust. At the core of restoring public trust are principles, self-control and integrity,” said Prosecutor-General Kim during his retirement ceremony at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul.

Appointed by former President Park Geun-hye, he had seven months left in his two-year term.

Kim offered to step down Thursday, hours after new President Moon Jae-in appointed Cho Kuk, an advocate of drastic reforms of the prosecution, as his legal affairs secretary. Moon accepted the resignation the following day.

In his farewell remarks, the outgoing chief also expressed hopes for a “desirable” direction for the prosecution overhaul.

“The reforms of the prosecution should be in line with the direction that can help the public,” he said. “It should be reviewed whether reforms of the prosecution guarantee neutrality, fairness and efficiency of investigations.”

Public distrust of the prosecution hit a tipping point in the wake of the corruption scandal involving former President Park and her inner circle, including her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, a prosecutor-turned-presidential aide and ex-ministers.

The prosecution drew criticism for being lukewarm and lenient in investigating cases related to high-ranking officials under the Park administration, especially a case involving Cho’s predecessor Woo Byung-woo. Woo, a former prosecutor, is suspected of using his ties to the prosecution to sway its investigations in favor of the government.

Kim’s resignation is expected to boost Moon’s pledge to revamp the state prosecution, which he sees as wielding too much power with exclusive rights to investigate, arrest and indict.

Moon ordered the new Civil Affairs Secretary Cho to revisit the corruption allegations involving the ousted president.

For a start, Cho said in a media interview that he would internally look into the Jeong Yoon-hoe scandal.

Police said Monday that they were reviewing whether to open an investigation into deceased police officer Choi Kyung-rak, who committed suicide while undergoing a prosecutorial probe in 2014. He was suspected of handing over to a local daily the confidential document accusing Jeong, husband of Park’s friend Choi Soon-sil, of meddling in state affairs.

Choi’s brother filed a petition with the police, asking for a reinvestigation into Choi’s death. Choi’s suicide note hinted he was under pressure to make false testimony not to go against the government.

“I have a right and duty to clarify why the prosecution covered up the Jeong Yun-hoe case and why it distorted it under the previous prosecution,” presidential aide Cho said in an interview with local media.

In 2014, the daily reported on the document revealing Jeong peddled influence over state affairs behind the scenes despite holding no elected office. Jeong assisted Park when she entered politics in 1998 and was her chief secretary in 2002 when Park founded her own political party.

The prosecution had concluded that the report was based on false accusations, only indicting those who released the document -- ex-presidential secretary Cho Eung-cheon and ex-senior police officer Park kwan-cheon -- for leaking government secrets.

The prosecution was criticized for only focusing on how the confidential document was leaked out of the presidential office rather than looking into the content allegedly indicating Jeong and his wife Choi’s meddling in state affairs.

Cho, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, was found not guilty. Park received an eight-month term in prison, suspended for two years, for releasing one of the 17 government documents.

The prosecution dismissed the claims accusing it of covering up the case.

“In the two-page document, there were no parts indicating Choi’s specific meddling in state affairs or irregularities,” the prosecution said. “We thoroughly investigated the case but there was no evidence to confirm the way the document was leaked or Jeong’s interference with state affairs.”

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)