Moon accepts resignation of prosecutor general

 President Moon Jae-in accepted Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo’s resignation Friday, three days after promulgating two controversial bills on prosecution reform, giving incoming President Yoon Suk-yeol a free hand to pick a new top prosecutor.

Kim, his deputy and the chiefs of all six high prosecutors offices across the nation had offered to resign en masse on April 22 in protest against the prosecution reform legislation that would reduce and eventually scrap the prosecution’s investigative powers.

After the National Assembly approved the bills, Moon promulgated them Tuesday.

Except for Kim’s resignation, Moon turned down the other offers because of concerns their mass resignations could leave a “vacuum” in prosecution services,” presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said.

Park said Moon, who is set to leave office next Monday, accepted Kim’s resignation, because it was the second time Kim had offered to resign and it was “difficult” for Moon to again turn down the resignation offer.

Kim tendered his first resignation offer on April 17 to protest against the bills, but Moon turned down Kim’s offer a day later.

Kim’s resignation gave Yoon a free hand to pick a new prosecutor general.

Kim’s two-year term was supposed to end in May next year.