Over 'Prosecution Reform'... Cheong Wa Dae and Rebuilding Korea Party Clash Head-On

[Anchor]

Internal friction over prosecution reform within the broader ruling bloc is entering another phase. This time, Cheong Wa Dae and the Rebuilding Korea Party have clashed head-on. Over issues in the prosecution reform process—such as which ministries the Major Crimes Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Agency should belong to, and the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights—Cheong Wa Dae released a late-night statement.

Reporter Park Ye-rim reports.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung wrote on social media yesterday (October 5), "Not only the Rebuilding Korea Party, but most prosecution reform advocates proposed granting supplementary investigation rights to the Public Prosecution Agency, while placing both the Major Crimes Investigation Agency in charge of investigations and the Public Prosecution Agency in charge of indictments under the Ministry of Justice."

He then emphasized that the government took it a step further by assigning the Major Crimes Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Agency separately under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Justice, and that the stripping of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights—which they changed their stance to advocate—was also achieved.

In response, the Rebuilding Korea Party countered that while it was true they had proposed legislation placing the Major Crimes Investigation Agency under the Ministry of Justice, they later changed the party platform to place it under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and what the party advocated was the right to request supplementary investigations, not supplementary investigation rights.

At 11 p.m. last night, Cheong Wa Dae took the unusual step of issuing a late-night statement.

It claimed that former Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk had said on YouTube last year that supplementary investigation rights should be recognized conditionally.

[Cho Kuk / Former Leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party (YouTube channel 'Jang Yoon-sun's News Convenience Store', August 2025): "The Rebuilding Korea Party naturally, and I naturally, take the stance that supplementary investigations should be recognized under limited conditions."]

Cheong Wa Dae requested, "Rather than clinging to minor differences, please join in completing the prosecution reform that has already progressed irreversibly."

To this, the Rebuilding Korea Party criticized this morning, saying, "Cheong Wa Dae has engaged in political acts to enforce its political intentions," while former leader Cho also expressed regret, questioning, "Is this such an urgent and pressing matter as to distribute a press release in the middle of the night?" and adding, "It is triggering a wasteful debate."

Meanwhile, Gwangju Regional Major Crimes Investigation Agency Chief Lim Eun-jung, known as a hardliner on prosecution reform, continues day after day with public criticism of Kim Ji-yong, the nominee for Chief of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency.

[Lim Eun-jung / Chief of Gwangju Regional Major Crimes Investigation Agency: "It is being revealed to some extent that nominee Kim Ji-yong was involved in the chain of command in various unsavory incidents on multiple occasions..."]

The National Assembly confirmation hearing for nominee Kim Ji-yong, expected on October 14, is anticipated to become a watershed moment in the conflict over prosecution reform within the broader ruling bloc.

(Video by Jeong Sang-bo and Ha Ryung | Video Editing by Wi Won-yang | Graphics by JUNHO)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.