Cho Kuk’s Call for Prosecution Reform and Indictment Withdrawal
Cho Kuk, emergency committee chairman of the Rebuilding Korea Party, made strong statements during a discussion titled “Problems and Solutions to the Abuse of Prosecutorial Power” held at the National Assembly. He emphasized that President Lee Jae-myung is a victim of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s prosecution efforts and called for the withdrawal of the indictment related to the president’s ongoing trial.
Cho Kuk described the prosecution’s actions as a severe abuse of power, stating that the president endured immense suffering due to targeted investigations and indiscriminate indictments. He referred to the indictment of President Lee as “the worst abuse of indictment power by political prosecutors and a crime that manipulated the nation’s judicial system.”
Criticizing Prosecution Reform Efforts
Regarding the current prosecution reform efforts led by the Democratic Party and the government, Cho Kuk criticized the focus on institutional reforms while ignoring the false and fabricated indictments by the Yoon Suk-yeol political prosecutors. He argued that without personnel purges and restoration of damages, these reforms would not succeed.
He urged the National Assembly to push for a full-scale investigation into the “Lee Jae-myung elimination plot,” alongside personnel purges and restoration of damages, while also advancing prosecution reform legislation. Additionally, he called for the suspension and potential withdrawal of the indictment against President Lee.
Personal Reflections and Legal Challenges
Cho Kuk addressed his own prosecution and conviction for alleged admissions fraud, stating that his case was not part of today’s discussion. He accepted the results of the investigation, indictment, and trial conducted during his isolation, emphasizing that this was not about his personal case. However, he acknowledged that few people may understand the pain President Lee endured as much as he does.
Full Remarks from Cho Kuk
As emergency committee chairman of the Rebuilding Korea Party and head of the “Go Until the End” special committee, Cho Kuk clarified that his case under the Yoon Suk-yeol prosecution was not part of today’s discussion. He expressed concern over the prosecution regime’s impact on President Lee, comparing the 150 prosecutors and 376 search and seizure operations to past military regime tactics.
Cho Kuk highlighted the need for the National Assembly to address the truth behind the “Lee Jae-myung elimination plot” and reflected on whether the Act on the Appointment of Special Prosecutors had been overly politicized.
Prosecution Reform and Institutional Changes
Prosecution reform is nearing its final stages, but Cho Kuk believes efforts are focused only on institutional reforms while ignoring the false and fabricated indictments by the Yoon Suk-yeol political prosecutors. He stressed that institutional reforms without personnel purges and restoration of damages cannot succeed.
President Lee suffered immensely from the prosecution’s targeted investigations and indiscriminate indictments, which Cho Kuk described as the worst abuse of indictment power. He noted that the Yoon Suk-yeol regime’s attacks aimed to eliminate Lee Jae-myung, a former presidential rival and top contender for the Democratic Party.
Proposals for Comprehensive Reform
The Rebuilding Korea Party proposed four prosecution reform bills in the National Assembly, including a special act on investigating abuses of prosecutorial power and restoring damages during Yoon Suk-yeol’s tenure. This includes investigating ongoing cases of prosecutorial abuse, punishing those responsible, and restoring damages.
Cho Kuk outlined specific cases that should be defined and investigated as prosecutorial abuses, such as policy judgments distorted into abuse of authority, selective editing of evidence, and indiscriminate separate investigations. He suggested that cases in their first trial should consider indictment withdrawal, while cases that have progressed or concluded should consider dismissal of indictments, special pardons, or retrials.
Urging Political Unity
Cho Kuk proposed that the Democratic Party and reform opposition parties unite to pass the special act and prosecution reform bills simultaneously. He emphasized the importance of rectifying prosecutorial abuses to complete prosecution reform.
This week, the National Assembly will pass a bill to abolish the Prosecutors’ Office and establish a Public Prosecutors’ Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. This shift is seen as pivotal for Korea’s criminal justice system beyond mere organizational restructuring.
Core Principles of Prosecution Reform
The core of prosecution reform, according to Cho Kuk, involves three key elements: dismantling the Prosecutors’ Office, dismantling prosecutorial power, and swiftly restoring damages from prosecutorial abuses. He called for a full personnel purge of political prosecutors who benefited from the Yoon Suk-yeol regime and the withdrawal of false and fabricated indictments against President Lee.
The Rebuilding Korea Party will take all measures to ensure these tasks are implemented without wavering. Cho Kuk hopes today’s discussion serves as an opportunity to reaffirm the core principle of separating investigation and indictment and to publicize the criteria and measures for indictment withdrawal.
