South Korea has announced plans for a major reform of the state system, including the abolition of the prosecutors' office and the removal of the finance ministry's right to prepare the state budget, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Instead, new specialized bodies will be created to take over these functions.
These changes are part of the election promises of President Lee Jae-myeon, who said during his campaign that some state institutions have more power than necessary.
However, the reforms have drawn criticism from experts. After a joint meeting between the government and the ruling party, Interior Minister Yoon Ho-joon announced that a bill is being prepared to strip the finance ministry of its budgetary powers, with a newly created government body responsible for preparing the annual budget.
According to Yoon, the goal of the changes is to better implement key national policies in the interest of citizens and build a solid foundation for dealing with complex challenges such as climate change and the transition to artificial intelligence.
Legal experts and economists have expressed concerns that the reforms could threaten the independence of the prosecution service. There is also a risk of faster growth in the national debt if the budget control policy is changed.
The plan would create two new bodies - one responsible for bringing charges and the other for investigations. Parliament must approve the proposed changes before they can take effect. Yun specified that the reforms would be implemented about a year after their adoption by parliament.