The prosecution has recently voiced its opposition to the government-led judiciary reform to share its exclusive supervisory role over investigations with police. They claim the government and the National Assembly are pushing ahead with the plan without taking their views into consideration.
Justice Minister Park Sang-ki, however, made it clear that prosecutors cannot "design" their own investigations as this is the government's right.
"We have been receiving prosecutors' opinions through various channels and can reflect them. However, neither the prosecution nor the police can designate their own investigative authority," the minister said in a joint interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo at his office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, last Thursday.
"The prosecution can present their stance, but I don't think the government needs to completely accept their demands," he said. "It is the government's job to decide on the power distribution of investigative authority, and the proposed bill to give police the authority over opening and closing a case is the agreement we've come to with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The final decision will be made by the National Assembly."