00:00South Korea's parliament has passed a landmark reform bill stripping prosecutors of their
00:05investigative powers. Under the new law, a separate agency will handle investigations
00:10while a new body will take charge of indictments and prosecutions.
00:16The move formalizes a long debate over a separation of powers in South Korea.
00:21President Lee Jae-myung and his Liberal Democratic Party say it was needed to prevent political abuse.
00:27Momentum for reform grew after former President Yoon Suk-yeol was accused of using prosecution
00:33service to target political opponents. His short-lived attempt to impose martial law in
00:39December 2024 further intensified calls to dismantle the system. There has been a decades-long
00:45push to curb prosecutorial power amid criticism that the system enabled selective enforcement
00:51and undermine democratic accountability. But critics warn the overhaul could weaken
00:57checks on investigators and risk politicizing the new structure.
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