South Korea prosecutor sentenced, Justice Minister and acting prosecutor eye resignations amid investigation authority改革

South Korea's Supreme Court dismissed an appeal and upheld a lower‑court ruling that sentenced a Daegu district prosecutor investigator to ten months in prison, suspended for two years, for leaking a copy of a detention warrant to a friend. The investigator had accessed criminal case information in the justice information system between December 2023 and April 2024, falsely claiming the documents were needed for work.

At the same time, Justice Minister Jung Sung‑ho has repeatedly indicated he will resign, and acting Prosecutor General Gu Ja‑hyun is also expected to step down as the government pushes to abolish the prosecutor's complementary investigation authority. The ruling Democratic Party is moving a criminal procedure law amendment through the National Assembly, with votes slated for late June. The potential departures raise concerns about leadership gaps ahead of the planned closure of the prosecution service in October.