Former head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Park Cheol-woo took office as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 21st. At the inauguration, Chief Prosecutor Park said, “Supplementary investigations are precisely the field in which the prosecution can have its reason for existence recognized,” underscoring the need to retain the supplementary-investigation authority. He avoided specific mention of the Daejang-dong appeal-waiver issue.

Meeting prosecution staff at the inauguration held at 10 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-dong, Seoul, Chief Prosecutor Park said, “I am glad to be working together,” and added, “Taking office to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Central District chief during a difficult period, I feel a heavy sense of duty.”

He said, “Major changes to the organization and functions related to the prosecution service are approaching,” adding, “The criminal justice system may change, but the core duty of the prosecution to protect the public from crime and to remedy rights and interests cannot change.”

Chief Prosecutor Park continued, “Effective judicial oversight of the police investigations, which currently account for a large share, and supplementary investigations are precisely the important areas in which the prosecution can be newly recognized by the public for its reason for existence.” He then said, “We will pool the wisdom of our members to respond to discussions about changes and reforms to the prosecution system.” This is interpreted as an intention, amid the adjustment of investigative powers, to persuade the government of the need to retain the supplementary-investigation authority.

Chief Prosecutor Park avoided direct comments on the appeal-waiver episode regarding Daejang-dong. Instead, he said, “Prosecutors are well aware that, because of the roles entrusted to them, they cannot be free from public criticism,” while adding, “There has seldom been a time like recently when we felt a sense of deprivation and self-reproach, as if all the passion poured in over the years were being entirely denied.” He also indirectly stated his stance on the critical public mood, saying, “To be honest, I cannot deny feeling wronged.”

He said, “Yet at the very least, let us start by reflecting on the scenes in which the fairness of exercising investigative authority was pointed out by the public, and on words and deeds that may have, even unconsciously, appeared arrogant,” and added, “This is not about apportioning blame to someone. It is about adopting an attitude of ruminating on whether there were shortcomings or excesses that slipped by without our noticing.”

On his way to work that day as well, Chief Prosecutor Park was reluctant to state his view on the appeal waiver. Asked whether he thought giving up the appeal was the right decision, he answered, “It is not appropriate for me to comment.” Regarding the criticism that internal backlash within the prosecution is severe, he said, “I fully understand and empathize with the thoughts and sentiments of our members,” and added, “My hope is that the political arena will also broadly understand this sentiment of backlash.”

At the time of the appeal waiver, Park was head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and is known as the figure who led the move. This was after Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin of the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, a member of the second Daejang-dong investigation team, wrote on the intranet on the 8th, the day after the appeal was waived, “As the head of anti-corruption at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office told us to reconsider filing an appeal and then disallowed it, the fourth deputy chief at the (Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office) said to wait, saying he would try to persuade the anti-corruption head.” On his way to work, Chief Prosecutor Park countered, “A lot of inaccurate information about me is spreading.”