By Sanxuan

Lee Jae-myung has finally avenged his long-standing grudge.

This week, the South Korean National Assembly voted on the amendment proposed by Lee Jae-myung's government. Under the backdrop of the People Power Party members collectively absenting themselves, the amendment was ultimately passed with an overwhelming majority of 174:1. Among them, the most controversial one was abolishing the Prosecution Service.

How to describe the status of the Prosecution Service in South Korea? It can be said that its power is greater than the imperial edict's sword, because the imperial edict's sword cannot kill the emperor himself, while the South Korean Prosecution Service can put the president in jail. All previous presidents have had a mix of love and hate for it; during their tenure, they used it to target political rivals, but after leaving office, they had to be wary of being targeted themselves.

Explaining this in terms of modern power systems, the South Korean Prosecution Service has both investigative authority and prosecution authority, while investigative authority is originally in the hands of the police. However, under the dominance of the Prosecution Service, the South Korean police can only act as assistants to prosecutors, doing tedious and ungrateful tasks.

This is also why being a prosecutor is one of the most desired careers among South Koreans, as becoming a prosecutor is the fastest way for ordinary people to achieve social mobility. The former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, who is currently battling with prosecutors in detention, is also a prosecutor by background.

The Prosecution Service having great power is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the prosecution has a high degree of independence, not bound by administrative powers, and can investigate high-ranking officials or even the president, preventing the government from abusing its power.

However, prosecutors also have their own selfish interests and are easily involved in political struggles for political benefits, becoming weapons and tools for one side. Take Yoon Suk-yeol, for example, the reason his case was difficult to proceed at the beginning was largely due to his long-term deep roots in the Prosecution Service, cultivating his own forces.

Certainly, this phenomenon is not solely caused by Yoon Suk-yeol, but his position is particularly special, as he is the only president in South Korea who came from the prosecution system.

Lee Jae-myung is not the first to take the initiative, reforming the Prosecution Service started from Moon Jae-in's time, when the current chief prosecutor was Yoon Suk-yeol. The two had a falling out over this matter, so after Yoon Suk-yeol took office, he targeted Moon Jae-in in various ways until he left office, and then Moon Jae-in's family became quiet.

Naturally, the achievements of Moon Jae-in's reform were also abolished by Yoon Suk-yeol. Moreover, the power of the Prosecution Service has become even greater, as there are many of Yoon Suk-yeol's loyalists within it.

Moon Jae-in, who is so upright, was constantly targeted by the prosecution, let alone Lee Jae-myung, who is embroiled in lawsuits. Therefore, as soon as he took office, he started preparing to reform the Prosecution Service, separating the investigative authority from the prosecution authority, breaking the monopoly of the Prosecution Service's power.

But whether this move is motivated by self-interest or fairness is hard to say. Perhaps it is just paving the way for himself after he leaves office? Moon Jae-in escaping the "Blue House curse" is purely because he is upright and has no shadow to fear. It is difficult to find another person like him in today's South Korean political arena.

In addition to weakening the power of the Prosecution Service, this reform also strengthened the control of the executive branch over law enforcement and judicial institutions. As a result, the administrative power becomes too large again.

In short, the so-called reform is merely transferring power from one party to another. Every system has its imperfections, and Lee Jae-myung's reform may not necessarily make the South Korean judicial system better. The key is whether the person in power is upright and selfless.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7555061542552584758/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author, and we welcome you to express your attitude below with the [top/beat] buttons.