South Korea's Supreme Court has issued its first ruling on whether an investigation begun by a prosecution investigator should be treated as one initiated by a prosecutor. Kyunghyang reports that the court said it can, meaning the prosecutor who directed that investigation cannot directly indict the case under the relevant restriction. The court overturned the lower-court guilty judgment and sent the case back, giving the decision practical significance as prosecution rules are being rewritten.
Supreme Court sets first rule on investigator-led cases and direct indictment
The court held that an investigation started by a prosecution investigator can count as a prosecutor-initiated investigation, restricting direct indictment by the supervising prosecutor.
