Parliamentary Audit: Political Feud Erupts Over Alleged Mobster Letter Linked to Lee Jae-myung; Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Judicial Pressure

Clash Over 'Prosecution Reform' Engulfs Ruling and Opposition Parties During National Audit of Supreme Prosecutors' Office

On October 27, 2025, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office saw fierce clashes between the ruling and opposition parties over issues related to prosecution reform. In particular, lawmakers from both sides grilled officials and engaged in heated debates over whether to maintain the prosecution's right to conduct supplementary investigations. Members of the People Power Party (PPP) argued for strengthening the prosecution's role, asserting that the Democratic Party's (DP) push for prosecution reform could undermine the fairness of the judicial system. Conversely, DP lawmakers stressed the need to check the abuse of power by the prosecution and strengthen human rights protection, emphasizing the necessity of prosecution reform. Amid the heated debate, Acting Prosecutor General Roh Man-seok defended the prosecution's position, emphasizing that the prosecution's right to conduct supplementary investigations serves as a "second line of defense" for protecting the public. Roh's remarks starkly illustrated the irreconcilable differences in perspective between the ruling and opposition parties regarding prosecution reform. The National Assembly audit also addressed various issues such as the prosecution's investigative practices and organizational culture, leading to sharp exchanges between the ruling and opposition parties. The PPP insisted on guaranteeing the prosecution's independence and establishing political neutrality, criticizing the DP's offensive against the prosecution as unfair. The DP countered by pointing out the prosecution's past authoritarian behavior and arguing for the establishment of an investigative system that meets the public's expectations. During the National Assembly audit, PPP lawmaker Shin Dong-wook launched an offensive against Acting Prosecutor General Roh Man-seok, questioning him about his feelings regarding the suspension of investigations related to President Lee Jae-myung and urging him to resign. In particular, Shin revealed a recording of a phone conversation between Senior Superintendent Baek Hae-ryong and Acting Prosecutor General Roh Man-seok, foreshadowing a significant fallout. While the specific content of the recording was not mentioned, Shin asserted that the recording was important evidence that could raise questions about the fairness of the prosecution's investigation. DP lawmakers dismissed Shin's offensive as a "political attack," criticizing Shin for exerting undue pressure. DP lawmakers strongly protested, arguing that Shin's actions undermined the essence of the National Assembly audit and infringed upon the prosecution's independence. Ruling and opposition lawmakers even discussed the possibility of referring Shin's actions to the Ethics Committee, engaging in a tense war of nerves. As such, the National Assembly audit was marked by raised voices and heated atmospheres between ruling and opposition lawmakers, and the debate surrounding prosecution reform is expected to intensify further. In particular, the ruling and opposition parties are sharply divided over key issues such as the adjustment of the prosecution's investigative powers and the role of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, and considerable friction is expected during future National Assembly discussions. Meanwhile, PPP lawmaker Joo Jin-woo criticized the government's diplomatic policy, questioning the government's deployment of a chartered plane to bring back South Koreans staying in Cambodia. Joo urged the government to take responsibility, calling it "an act of wantonly wasting taxpayer money." In response, a government official refuted Joo's claim, stating that it was an unavoidable measure taken with the safety of the people as the top priority. The controversy did not subside easily, and opposition lawmakers continued their offensive by raising the level of criticism against the government's overall diplomatic policy. Amid this situation, DP lawmaker Kim Yong-min fueled the controversy by advocating for the passage of an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, known as the "Presidential Trial Suspension Act," during a closed-door general meeting of lawmakers. Kim's proposal would make it possible to suspend the President's trial, and the opposition party immediately criticized it as a "Presidential Shield Act." PPP lawmakers denounced Kim's proposal as undermining the principle of separation of powers and denying the rule of law, vowing to block the passage of the bill. The "Presidential Trial Suspension Act" controversy has plunged the political situation into further chaos, and the conflict between the ruling and opposition parties is expected to intensify further. In December 2021, the PPP raised allegations that then-presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung had received bribes from a mobster, releasing two related letters. In connection with this, the prosecution requested the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to conduct a document appraisal of the letters related to Lee Jae-myung's alleged involvement with the mob, but it was reported that the conclusion was that "a common opinion could not be derived from all appraisers." At the time, the PPP focused on investigating the authenticity of the letters and put pressure on Lee Jae-myung, but the offensive somewhat subsided as the prosecution's appraisal results were not clear. However, the PPP is still demanding that the truth be revealed regarding these allegations, and the possibility that this issue will resurface as a point of contention during the National Assembly audit has been raised. The DP is strongly protesting that the PPP's claims are groundless slander and is reportedly considering legal action. As such, the allegations of President Lee Jae-myung's involvement with the mob remain a hot potato in the political arena and are expected to continue to be controversial in the future. The ruling and opposition parties are sharply divided over this issue, and there is a high possibility that it will act as a major cause of political gridlock. In particular, there are predictions that the political landscape could be greatly shaken depending on the results of the prosecution's investigation, and attention is being focused on the outcome.