South Korea Passes Criminal Procedure Act Amendment Stripping Prosecutors of Investigative Powers

South Korea's cabinet, chaired by President Lee Jae-myung, approved an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that strips prosecutors of their direct investigative powers, marking a historic shift in the country's criminal justice system. The amendment, passed on August 4, 2025, abolishes the Prosecution Service (prosecutors' office) effective October 2, 2025, replacing it with a new 'Public Prosecution Office' (Gongso-cheong). Under the new system, prosecutors will no longer conduct direct investigations or supplementary investigations; they can only request police to carry out supplementary probes, which police must complete within one month, extendable by another month. This ends a 70-year-old system established by the 1948 Prosecutors' Office Act and the 1954 Criminal Procedure Act. The National Police Agency has pledged to 'stake the organization's fate' on ensuring a smooth transition, but frontline officers worry that handling over 1 million cases annually plus new supplementary investigation duties will strain resources and compromise investigation quality. The police are reviewing additional manpower and budget needs and will conduct training for frontline investigators and mid-level supervisors before the new law takes effect.

Global Impact

Politically, this reform is a landmark in South Korea's democratic evolution, shifting power from prosecutors to police and potentially setting a precedent for other countries with similar prosecutorial systems. Economically, the transition may lead to increased government spending on police training and hiring, with modest fiscal implications.