South Korean president accepts prosecutor general’s resignation
Seoul, May 6 (EFE).- South Korean President Moon Jae-in accepted Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo’s resignation Friday in protest of a controversial reform of the prosecution but rejected those of another seven senior officials to prevent a “vacuum” in prosecution services.
Deputy Prosecutor General Park Sung-jin and the heads of the six regional prosecutors offices had also offered to step down in protest of the approval on May 3 of two laws that greatly reduced the powers of the prosecution.
Presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said Moon rejected the resignation of these officials due to concerns that their mass resignations could leave a “vacuum” in prosecution services.
The outgoing Moon administration enacted both laws Tuesday just six days before the president leaves office.
The reform, proposed by Moon’s ruling Democratic Party, which has a majority in the country’s parliament, is aimed at removing the investigative capabilities of prosecutors, which many in the Asian country have accused of wielding excessive power used for political purposes and personal gain.
The ruling party validated the bill without reaching an agreement on the text with the conservative opposition in the parliament, thereby allowing the government to promulgate it before Moon leaves office next week to prevent the possibility of his successor, conservative President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, vetoing it after taking office on May 10. EFE
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