Prosecution reform bills approved at Cabinet in significant overhaul

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved two prosecution reform bills that would dismantle the current prosecution service later this year to separate its exclusive power to both initiate criminal probes and indict suspects. When promulgated, it would mark a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s prosecution system. Under the new laws, the prosecution office will be shut down in October, 78 years after its establishment in 1948, and two new agencies will exercise indictment and investigate roles, respectively. The bills on establishing the so-called serious crimes investigation agency and the indictment agency, pushed by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), were passed at the National Assembly last week in a plenary session boycotted by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). Under the laws, the new indictment agency will handle only indictments, while investigative powers will be transferred to the newly established serious crimes investigation agency. The new investigative body will be established under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and will be responsible for probing six majo

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