韩国政府于8月4日通过《刑事诉讼法》修正案，全面取消检察机关的直接侦查和补充侦查权限[1]。根据修正案，检察机关今后将专司起诉职能，所有刑事案件原则上由警方、重大犯罪调查厅和高级公职人员犯罪调查处负责侦查[1]。韩国检察厅将被撤销，由新设立的公诉厅承接起诉职能[1]。
修正案对案件办理周期作出明确规定[1]：警方根据控告或举报开展的侦查应在3个月内完成，检察官收到案件后必须在3个月内决定是否提起公诉，案件办理期限原则上被限定为6个月。修正案及相关法律将于10月2日起正式施行[1]。
这次改革标志着韩国延续70余年的刑事司法体系发生重大变革。执政党共同民主党等予以支持，而国民力量党等保守阵营则批评为"倒退式改革"[1]。
South Korea's government approved amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act on August 4, fundamentally restructuring the nation's criminal justice system by eliminating the prosecution's direct investigative powers.[1] Under the revised framework, prosecutors will be restricted to prosecutorial functions only, while all criminal investigations will be conducted by police, the Serious Crimes Investigation Division, and the High-Ranking Officials Crime Investigation Division.[1] The prosecution will lose its authority to discover cases independently, conduct direct investigations, interrogate suspects, and gather evidence.[1]
The reformed system will take effect on October 2.[1] The amendments establish strict procedural timelines: police must complete investigations based on complaints or reports within three months, and prosecutors must decide whether to press charges within three months of receiving a case file, with overall case processing generally limited to six months.[1] Additionally, the existing Supreme Prosecutors' Office will be abolished and replaced by a newly established Public Prosecution Office to handle prosecutorial duties.[1] The changes represent a major overhaul of South Korea's criminal justice system, which has operated under the current framework for over 70 years.[1] The ruling Democratic Party has expressed support for the reforms, while the conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party has criticized the amendments as a "regressive reform."[1]