# South Korean Prosecution Service restructuring

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-prosecution-service-restructuring
> Updated: 2026-10-02T01:32:22.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

The South Korean Ministry of Justice initiated a restructuring of the Prosecution Service following directives from President Lee Jae-myung. Key changes included renaming the ‘Judicial Control Department’ to the ‘Non-transfer Case Review Department’ to mitigate concerns regarding investigative power restrictions, alongside a proposed reduction of investigative support staff from 4,284 to 2,133.

Following these structural changes, political opposition emerged. Jung Jeom-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized the abolition of the Prosecution Service and its supplementary investigation powers, claiming the criminal investigation system has effectively “died”. Jung noted that case processing times increased from 140 to 312 days following power adjustments in 2021 and pledged to introduce legislation to restore investigative powers.

## Claims

- The criminal investigation system in South Korea has died due to the abolition of the Prosecution Service. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The People Power Party will introduce legislation to restore supplementary investigation powers. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The average processing time for criminal cases increased from 140 to 312 days over the last five years following the 2021 investigation power adjustments. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The upcoming parliamentary audit will focus on uncovering truths, livelihoods, and restoring hope. (single source)
- The top priority for the audit is investigating allegations of personnel manipulation and state affairs interference by associates of the administration. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-02: Jung Jeom-sik criticizes abolition of South Korean Prosecution Service

People Power Party leader Jung Jeom-sik criticized the abolition of the Prosecution Service, claiming it has caused the death of South Korea's criminal investigation system.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jung-jeom-sik-criticizes-abolition-of-south-korean-prosecution-service

### 2026-09-13: South Korean Ministry of Justice revises Prosecution Service structure

South Korea's Ministry of Justice is revising the Prosecution Service structure, renaming the ‘Judicial Control Department’ and deferring decisions on prosecutor headcount until after its launch.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-ministry-of-justice-revises-prosecution-service-structure

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Cite as: South Korean Prosecution Service restructuring. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-prosecution-service-restructuring