Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun, “Democratic Party are devils” remark

It is evaluated that Chairman Lee, currently in a political crisis, made this decision as a desperate measure for survival.

She pointed out legal issues such as the police's detention without a warrant and requested careful review of related bills. Prosecutor Ahn explained that she raised these issues hoping that prosecutorial reform would not fail, and questioned the lawmakers about legal accountability.

She directly refuted attempts to frame her politically, stating her conviction.

Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun emphasized that every word spoken by a National Assembly member is extremely important and cannot be taken lightly by the other party. She pointed out that if one is a National Assembly member, they should investigate and carefully review something before speaking about it or making a request. In particular, she stressed that a lack of prudence in reviewing bills cannot be excused by saying 'I'm a liberal arts major, so I don't know much,' urging for a responsible attitude as a National Assembly member.

Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun lamented, "You said there were 500 cases in that bank for interviews. I alone cannot listen to all the factual parties in those 500 cases." Practical tasks such as reviewing records, demanding confidential investigations, and drafting indictments are essential, but forcing interviews and investigations for simple fact-finding creates a contradiction where confidential investigation work is effectively not recognized as evidence.

In addition to investigations, prosecutors perform various non-investigative tasks such as apprehending fine defaulters, overseeing刑 execution, tracking defendants who flee after receiving real sentences, and confiscating criminal proceeds. Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun explained, "They also go after defaulters who haven't paid fines. And the prosecution is involved in the execution of sentences." She warned that these tasks are essential for maintaining the national judicial system, and a reduction in investigative personnel could lead to the paralysis of the national judicial system, not just a decrease in investigative capacity.

If confidential investigations cannot be conducted, there will be no way to correct problems even if they arise at the court stage, requiring investigations to start over from the beginning. She expressed concern that the law could operate in a distorted manner, such as not recognizing the evidentiary value of evidence secured by trial prosecutors in court.

At the time, Rep. Kim had mentioned the need to reduce the number of cases handled per incident and double the number of trial prosecutors. This change in stance raises doubts about whether his remarks were intended to placate public opinion.

Currently, unresolved cases in the prosecutor's office have accumulated to their highest level in 15 years, and there is a shortage of prosecutors to handle indictments and send them to court. Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun emphasized, "It's natural that the number of trial prosecutors should increase. And we have no choice but to deploy more prosecutors for indictments for the time being. There are too many unresolved cases in the prosecution." This has led to a reality where night and weekend work has become commonplace due to insufficient time for trial preparation.

According to Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun, prosecutors, despite being civil servants, do not receive separate allowances for working overtime or on weekends. She explained, "Prosecutors are civil servants, but those who work what's called '9 to 6' are well-known. They don't get extra pay for working late or on weekends." This reflects the reality that prosecutors perform their duties out of responsibility and consideration for those involved in cases, and it is currently a factor contributing to low morale and personnel gaps within the prosecution.

Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun explained, "Due to the nature of the work, when there's a gap due to parental leave or maternity leave, we can't hire contract prosecutors to fill it until they return." This exacerbates the vicious cycle where personnel shortages lead to an increased workload for existing prosecutors.

Rep. Kim Yong-min previously argued for doubling the number of trial prosecutors to strengthen the trial-centric system. Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun quoted Rep. Kim's past remarks, saying, "To strengthen the trial-centric system, trial prosecutors must be strengthened, and prosecutors involved in trials must reduce their caseloads. There are arguments that the number of trial prosecutors should be doubled, by about two times." However, Rep. Kim is now demanding a reduction in the number of prosecutors through proposals for the Public Prosecution Service's organizational structure, leading to criticism over these conflicting claims.

Prosecutor Ahn Mi-hyun explained that complex cases such as tax, international crime, information technology, anti-corruption, and fair trade require close cooperation from the early stages of investigation. These cases often involve 'wealthy suspects,' and if not properly addressed at the investigation stage, they are bound to fail. Therefore, she emphasized the need for a minimum organizational structure to defend a collapsing investigation system.

She warned that failure to maintain minimum personnel could lead to investigation paralysis.

The host criticized the president's unnecessary intervention, saying, "Macron and macaroons, whatever he ate, he came back and his first instruction was to revise the proposal for the Public Prosecution Service. What is he doing? Why is that president doing that?" This directive reveals a vacuum in state administration and a lack of communication with practical departments, and the president's expression of regret regarding the government proposal is also pointed out as inappropriate. The revision order is now feared to cause confusion and system paralysis.

She suggested that questions on this matter should be raised during Chairman Lee Jae-myung's press conference.