Politics · South Korea · 3 hrs ago
Civic group opposes investigation agency chiefs attending South Korea cabinet meetings
Participatory Solidarity opposes routine cabinet attendance by the heads of South Korea’s Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and Prosecution Office.
The two agencies began operating on October 2, and their acting chiefs joined a cabinet meeting on October 6.
President Lee Jae Myung has said their attendance is required by law and the Constitution.
The group says regular attendance could put political pressure on investigators and prosecutors, even without instructions about specific cases.
It notes that cabinet members could themselves be investigated or prosecuted by those agencies.
The group wants attendance limited to necessary occasions to protect the agencies’ political neutrality.
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy opposed regular attendance by the heads of South Korea’s serious-crimes investigation and prosecution agencies at Cabinet meetings.
The civic group said attendance could place political pressure on the agencies and undermine the appearance of fairness, even without instructions on individual cases.
It called on the government to drop plans for regular attendance and limit attendance to cases where it is needed.
The agencies’ acting heads began attending Cabinet meetings on October 6, after the agencies launched on October 2.
President Lee Jae Myung said on October 13 that their attendance was required under government organization law and the Constitution.
- Who
- People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy opposed the attendance of the acting heads of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Agency.
- What
- The group called for an end to their regular attendance at Cabinet meetings, saying it could threaten political neutrality.
- When
- The group stated its opposition on October 16, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The group said Cabinet members could potentially be investigated or prosecuted by the agencies, creating political pressure even without specific instructions.
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
South Korean government
Regular attendance
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
The group said attendance should be avoided to protect the agencies’ political neutrality and the appearance of fairness.
South Korean government
President Lee said the agencies’ heads attending Cabinet meetings was required under government organization law and the Constitution.
Attendance arrangements
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
The group called for regular attendance to be dropped and attendance to be limited to necessary cases.
South Korean government
The agencies’ acting heads began attending Cabinet meetings.
The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Agency were launched.
Their acting heads began attending Cabinet meetings.
President Lee said the agency heads’ attendance was required under government organization law and the Constitution.
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy publicly opposed regular attendance.
- Agencies
- Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and Prosecution Agency
- Agencies launched
- October 2, 2026
- First Cabinet meeting attendance
- October 6, 2026
- Civic group
- People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
- Opposition announced
- October 16, 2026
1 source
What people are saying
The political neutrality of investigative and prosecution agencies must be guaranteed.
The president’s office has said that specific investigations or prosecution instructions on individual cases are not discussed at Cabinet meetings, but the president’s office expressing its intent alone cannot dispel concerns.
Even without instructions on specific cases, this places political pressure on investigative and prosecution agencies.
There may be disagreement, but under the Government Organization Act and the Constitution, it is only natural.