Prosecution
Justice ministry and prosecution clash over pressure in Lee-linked corruption appeal
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Controversy between South Korea's justice ministry and prosecution intensified on November 12 over alleged pressure to forgo appealing a corruption case linked to President Lee Jae-myung. The decision not to appeal the high-profile real estate scandal from Lee's time as Seongnam mayor has sparked internal pushback and suspicions of undue influence. The Seoul Central District chief prosecutor offered to resign, while the opposition demands the justice minister's resignation.
A female prosecutor in Japan has called for a third-party committee to investigate harassment among prosecution staff nationwide after alleging sexual assault by a senior colleague. She submitted a written request to the Justice Ministry on Monday and stated she would resign if the requested measures are not implemented by the end of March.
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A woman is being charged with gross animal cruelty after 41 dogs were seized in Östergötland county in 2024. The dogs lived in dire conditions in a house covered in feces, without heat, and competing for food. The woman denies the charges.
South Korea's capacity to investigate major crimes is weakening sharply ahead of the prosecutors' office dismantlement. With prosecutors dispatched to special counsel teams and others resigning, key divisions have seen staff halved, and regional offices lost about one-third of dedicated personnel. Despite the Democratic Party's reform bill passing, unresolved details are already causing investigative gaps.
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Santiago's Third Oral Criminal Court acquitted eight defendants in the SQM case by majority, including former senator Pablo Longueira and candidate Marco Enríquez-Ominami, criticizing the process's length and the prosecution's evidence quality. The verdict highlights a violation of the right to a timely trial after 11 years of investigation and a three-year trial. The sentence will be delivered in August 2026, leaving room for a nullity appeal.