Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
Lee warns hard-line demands could undermine prosecution reform
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned against extreme demands for prosecution reform in a post on X on Wednesday.
He was responding to a user who asked him to apologize for calling some critics “irresponsible extremists.”
Lee said some people genuinely support reform, while others make excessive demands for political or personal reasons.
The dispute involves the ruling Democratic Party’s long-standing push to reform the prosecution.
Lee had called for prosecutors to keep the power to conduct supplementary investigations in exceptional cases.
The reform bill that recently took effect instead removed all prosecutorial investigative power, leaving prosecutors able to indict and maintain indictments.
Hard-liners in Lee’s party accuse him of backing away from reform, while he says all-or-nothing demands could jeopardize effective change.
President Lee Jae Myung warned that excessive demands for prosecution reform could undermine effective reform.
He said some people who call for reform are making inflammatory demands for hidden political or personal agendas.
Lee criticized “all-or-nothing” approaches and attacks on people seeking reform.
His remarks were widely seen as aimed at hard-liners in his ruling Democratic Party who accused him of backtracking.
A ruling-party reform bill that recently took effect stripped prosecutors of investigative powers, with exceptions differing from Lee’s earlier position.
- Who
- President Lee Jae Myung and hard-liners within his ruling Democratic Party.
- What
- Lee warned that excessive or “all-or-nothing” demands could jeopardize prosecution reform.
- When
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.
- Where
- Lee made the remarks on the social platform X. The article is datelined Seoul.
- Why
- He said some demands hinder reform and serve hidden political or personal agendas.
President Lee Jae Myung
Hard-liners within the ruling Democratic Party
Approach to reform
President Lee Jae Myung
Lee warned that excessive and “all-or-nothing” demands could jeopardize effective reform.
Hard-liners within the ruling Democratic Party
They accused Lee of backtracking on prosecution reform.
Prosecution powers
President Lee Jae Myung
Lee earlier called for prosecutors to retain the right to conduct supplementary investigations in exceptional cases.
Hard-liners within the ruling Democratic Party
The reform bill legislated by the ruling party stripped prosecutors of all investigative power.
Lee called for allowing prosecutors to conduct supplementary investigations in exceptional cases.
A ruling-party reform bill took effect, stripping prosecutors of all investigative power.
Lee warned on X that excessive demands could jeopardize prosecution reform.
- President
- Lee Jae Myung
- Date of remarks
- Oct. 28, 2026
- Platform
- X
- Reform bill
- Stripped prosecutors of all investigative power
- Exception Lee proposed
- Supplementary investigations in exceptional cases
What people are saying
There are those who sincerely call for prosecution reform for the country and the people, but there are also those who, in reality, hinder prosecution reform by only calling for clarity or making excessive, inflammatory demands for their hidden political and personal agendas
Calling for 'all-or-nothing' approaches as if they are the only true leader of reform and attacking those who are genuinely seeking reform while inciting fears of failure to take advantage of the urgent desire of some people to reform is irresponsible extremism