Briefed right after returning home, president voices displeasure as reform plan sparks unnecessary controversy

"Should have reviewed it closely, no need to be bound by prosecutor quota law," Lee says, also questioning name of 'judicial control' unit

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung greet well-wishers before boarding Air Force One at Paris Orly Airport on Wednesday (local time), wrapping up their state visit to France. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung greet well-wishers before boarding Air Force One at Paris Orly Airport on Wednesday (local time), wrapping up their state visit to France. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung has ordered the Ministry of Justice to revise and supplement a pair of organizational plans it recently drafted, after determining that they fell short. The plans are the regulation on the organization of the Prosecution Service and its affiliated agencies, and the enforcement decree of the Prosecutor Quota Act. Lee believes the government's failure to carefully work through issues such as the prosecutor headcount and the naming of a "judicial control" unit has triggered unnecessary controversy over prosecutorial reform. The reform is one of his administration's key state agenda items.

That day, after returning from his state visit to France, Lee headed straight to Cheong Wa Dae, where he received a detailed briefing on the government's plans. Cheong Wa Dae officials said Lee indicated, in essence, that the government should have carefully examined matters such as the prosecutor headcount, organizational structure and naming. It had failed to do so, he said.

On the staffing issue, the government's plan calls for a total Prosecution Service headcount of 8,412 — 2,292 prosecutors and 6,120 general staff. That marks a roughly 20 percent cut from the current headcount, but the number of prosecutor posts remains unchanged. This has prompted backlash within the ruling bloc over why the prosecutor quota should stay the same.

Regarding this, Lee reportedly said, "Why do we need to be bound by the existing Prosecutor Quota Act? Can't we simply use the number of personnel actually needed?" The remark signaled that the plan requires further work.

On top of that, Lee said it was inappropriate to name the department that reviews police cases not referred for prosecution as the "judicial control" unit. Officials said Lee reasoned that the name did not fit the department's actual purpose of reviewing non-referral cases. He also felt the government had failed to consider that such a contentious name would needlessly draw controversy.

Ultimately, Lee instructed the ministry in charge to extend the public notice period for the legislation and to revise and supplement the relevant provisions. Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice is expected to conduct a review of the matter in the near future.


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