DISPUTE CONTINUES ON PROSECUTORS' RIGHTS

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Prosecutors are trying to sway the public to block the Democratic Party's attempt to pass the bill on abolishing prosecutors' right to investigate. Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo implored the National Assembly on Thursday, while high-ranking prosecutors from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in charge of corruption cases held a news conference. A meeting of junior prosecutors is scheduled for next week.

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Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo visited the National Assembly to urge lawmakers to reconsider the bill on abolishing prosecutors' investigative power. He first met with reporters to reiterate his opposition to the bill.

[Soundbite] Kim Oh-soo(Prosecutor General) : "To me, the key point of the bill calling for abolishing prosecutors' right to investigate is tantamount to getting rid of prosecutors altogether. Then police and courts will take over that responsibility."

The prosecutor general says he will follow special laws and cooperate with special committees if there are problems in investigations conducted by prosecutors. He expressed concerns that the bill could do more harm than good. Kim also delivered a letter outlining the prosecutors' stance to the chief of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Park Kwang-on.

[Soundbite] Kim Oh-soo(Prosecutor General) : "This is the letter we have prepared."

In an unprecedented move, senior prosecutors from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in charge of corruption cases convened a news conference. They say if prosecutors are stripped of investigative authority, probes into the Daejang-dong land development scandal and the Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry blacklist could grind to a halt. More and more senior prosecutors are submitting resignations to protest the bill. On Thursday, Kim Soo-hyun, the head of the Tongyeong branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office, joined the protest by handing in his resignation. Some 150 junior prosecutors are scheduled to have a meeting at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office on April 19 to discuss the matter. Its outcome could determine the fate of the proposed bill. Justice Minister Park Beom-kye criticized prosecutors for not saying anything about the fairness of investigations, the key point of the contentious bill.