Four prosecutors post farewell messages Thursday morning; another's goodbye relayed through a colleague

A signboard for the Sokcho branch of the Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office lies on the ground as workers replace it Wednesday, one day before the prosecutors' office is formally abolished. [Yonhap]
A signboard for the Sokcho branch of the Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office lies on the ground as workers replace it Wednesday, one day before the prosecutors' office is formally abolished. [Yonhap]

On Thursday, the final day before the 78-year-old prosecutors' office is abolished, a string of farewell messages from rank-and-file prosecutors born in the 1980s began appearing on Epros, the prosecution's internal network. The posts looked back on their years of service and expressed gratitude and regret to colleagues, while also laying bare the conflicted feelings surrounding the institution's dissolution.

Thursday morning, four prosecutors posted notices of their resignations on Epros: Cho Jae-ik, a research prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (44th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute); Oh Gwang-il, a prosecutor at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (4th bar exam cohort); Lee Jun-myeong, a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (8th bar exam cohort); and Park Cheol-ryang, a prosecutor at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office (43rd JRTI class). A fifth prosecutor, Choi Jun-hwan (43rd JRTI class), on secondment to the preparatory team for the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, had his farewell message posted through a colleague on Wednesday. All five are rank-and-file prosecutors born in the 1980s.

Cho opened his message by reflecting on what drew him to the profession. "I'm not exactly sure when I first wanted to become a prosecutor," he wrote. "I think I was just vaguely captivated as a child by the grand phrase 'guardian of justice,' and that's when the dream took hold."

"This resignation letter was one I knew I'd write someday for one reason or another, but I'm writing it far sooner than I expected — even I am caught off guard," Cho said. "Honestly, I'm not even sure whether I'm resigning or simply moving to another agency, and I wonder whether it even makes sense to write a farewell at all." He added: "I sincerely hope that someday the prosecution will reclaim the name 'prosecution' and once again fulfill its true role. I have no doubt that day will come."

Oh wrote that the moment he became a prosecutor felt like yesterday. "It feels like just the other day that my heart swelled with pride at becoming a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea, and yet here I am on my last day," he said. "It is thanks to the administrative officers, investigators, section chiefs, and my sunbae and junior colleagues who worked alongside me over the past 11 years and five months that I made it safely to this final day. I am sincerely grateful."

Lee said he had decided, after much deliberation, to leave the prosecutors' office and move to the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency effective Friday. "It would be proper to say goodbye in person, but as there are people I have not been able to greet directly, I am posting this farewell message," he wrote.

"Every single day living as a member of the prosecution was truly something I cherished," Lee said. "Despite all of our efforts, a deeply worrying tomorrow awaits us." He added: "Standing before that uncertain and unwelcome path, I hope the fear and hesitation holding us back will be reborn as prudence, and that the will and courage we carry will blossom into wisdom."

Park also posted a farewell, saying he was resigning effective Thursday. "Over 13 years as a prosecutor, I was able to carry out the weighty duties of the office without major fault alongside many outstanding colleagues, and even had the opportunity to study abroad — all of which I consider privileges bestowed upon me by the state," he wrote. "Whatever work lies ahead, I will strive to repay, even in a small way, the benefits I have received."

Choi's farewell, relayed through another prosecutor, was posted Wednesday. "I write to express my gratitude for the support and guidance I received over many years as a prosecutor," he said. "Looking back, it all feels like a dream."

"Life as a prosecutor was not always smooth, but it was filled with a great deal of fulfillment and joy," Choi said. "Being able to work alongside everyone was the greatest blessing." He also left a message for junior colleagues: "I hope each of you walks your own path without becoming too worn down, and that you lean on the colleagues beside you on difficult days and share in each other's joy on good ones."

The prosecutors' office will complete its final day of operations Thursday before being formally dissolved, with the new Public Prosecution Service launching Friday. Ahead of the institutional transition, anxiety and regret over the dismantling of the existing organization and the new operational framework have been running high within the prosecution. That unsettled atmosphere has been most visible in the wave of resignations from prosecutors. Senior and mid-level prosecutors had already been posting their own farewells in the days prior.

On Tuesday, Yun Won-gi of the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office and Noh Seon-gyun, second deputy chief prosecutor at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, posted their farewells. "I am wrapping up 18 years and five months as a prosecutor," Yun wrote. "I feel nothing but sorry for not being able to stand with everyone during these difficult times." Noh said: "It is thanks to the sunbae who set an example, the steadfast colleagues in my cohort, and the passionate juniors that I, despite my shortcomings, was able to serve as a prosecutor for 20 years. As long as the members of the prosecution stand as firm as pine trees, I believe the prosecution's future remains bright."

So Chang-beom, chief of the violent crimes investigation division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, also posted a farewell Wednesday. "We have never once worked for our own advancement," he wrote. "That is why I hold such deep respect for the colleagues I have worked with."


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