Goo Ja-hyun, the acting Prosecutor General, submitted his resignation shortly after the National Assembly passed a revision to the Criminal Procedure Law.
On July 31, Goo spoke with reporters at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, stating, "I feel a deep sense of responsibility regarding the revision of the Criminal Procedure Law and have just submitted my resignation letter." This comes 258 days after he took office on November 15 of last year.
Goo acknowledged the need for reflection among all members of the prosecution regarding the loss of public trust, but emphasized, "Even if institutional reforms are made for that reason, the essence of the prosecution system, which is to uncover the truth and protect victims and related parties, must not be compromised."
He continued, "I have been constantly contemplating the direction of institutional reforms to guarantee citizens' rights and protect society from crime. Concerns have been raised that the recent revision to the Criminal Procedure Law forces prosecutors to rely solely on investigation records to decide on indictments, making it difficult to adequately protect victims and resulting in an inefficient structure that consumes time and resources."
Goo expressed his disappointment, saying, "The revision was passed without addressing these concerns, and I find it hard to hide my feelings of regret and helplessness. I earnestly request that, even after the revision is sent to the government, it be carefully examined to ensure there are no gaps in the system and that it sufficiently protects the public."
He added, "I also feel a sense of responsibility regarding the remaining concerns expressed by legal experts and the public as the Criminal Procedure Law is revised in this manner. I hope our criminal justice system develops in a way that ensures all citizens are fairly protected under the law."
Goo, a graduate of the 29th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, began his career as a prosecutor at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office in Seoul. He has held key positions at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Central District Prosecutors' Office, and the Ministry of Justice.
During the conflict over the so-called 'complete deprivation of prosecution's investigative authority' in 2020, he served as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, assisting then-Minister Choo Mi-ae. He later advanced to Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and was promoted to Chief Prosecutor, also serving as the Director of the Prosecutors' Office at the Ministry of Justice. After the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, he held positions as Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office, and a research fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, before being appointed Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office last July. He took over as acting Prosecutor General following the resignation of former acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok amid the 'Daejang-dong appeal abandonment' controversy.
Since taking office, Goo has refrained from public comments during the prosecution reform phase, but he publicly expressed his concern after a prosecutor involved in the Daejang-dong case attempted suicide, stating he felt "devastated."
On July 29, just before the Criminal Procedure Law revision was presented, he issued a statement saying, "As the acting Prosecutor General, I carry a heavy heart regarding the discussions on the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigative authority and the direction of the Criminal Procedure Law revision. If the effective oversight, supplementation, and correction functions of prosecutors regarding the investigation results of the first investigative agency are eliminated, the truth will be concealed, and South Korea's criminal justice system will collapse."
However, with the passage of the Criminal Procedure Law revision without incorporating the provisions related to supplementary investigative authority that the prosecution requested, it is interpreted that he resigned to take responsibility for this outcome.
If Goo's resignation is accepted, Park Gyu-hyung, head of the Planning and Coordination Bureau at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, is expected to temporarily assume the role of acting Prosecutor General. The government is anticipated to appoint Goo's successor soon to ensure organizational stability. The new acting Prosecutor General is likely to also take on the role of the inaugural head of the upcoming Public Prosecution Office, set to launch in October.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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