The nation's top prosecutor on Friday offered to resign after senior prosecutors refused to comply with his instructions following a string of disgraceful scandals within the powerful investigative body.

Prosecutor General Han Sang-dae said in a news conference that he will step down leaving all reform tasks to his successor.

"As the prosecutor general, I offer my apology to the people for a huge shock and disappointment," Han said.

President Lee Myung-bak immediately accepted Han's resignation, saying that "the prosecution needs a self-reflection," according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

Until a new chief prosecutor is named, Chae Dong-wook, the deputy prosecutor general, will act in Han's place, according to the prosecution. Han's three-year term was to end in 2014.

Han became the 11th chief prosecutor to resign before completing the three-year tenure. His predecessor, Kim Joon-gyu, also stepped down from his post in July of last year, in protest over the parliamentary approval of a bill limiting the prosecution's investigatory power.

Han's resignation offer came after he canceled his earlier plan to announce a package of prosecution reform measures yielding to pressure from defiant prosecutors.

On Thursday, a group of ranking prosecutors in Seoul demanded Han's resignation, asking the top prosecutor to accept responsibility for successive scandals, including bribery and sex scandals involving incumbent prosecutors.

Earlier this month, a senior prosecutor came under police investigation on suspicions of receiving bribes from a conglomerate and a notorious swindler.

Kim Kwang-joon was arrested for receiving a total of nearly 900 million won (US$826,000) from Cho Hee-pal, the mastermind of South Korea's biggest pyramid scheme, and the Eugene Group, a mid-sized conglomerate, in exchange for influence peddling.

Just days later, it was revealed that a trainee prosecutor had allegedly engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a female suspect he was questioning, at his own office.

The 30-year-old junior prosecutor surnamed Jeon is accused of having sexual activity with a 42-year-old female suspect while questioning her about a theft case on Nov. 10. He is also suspected of having sex with the suspect at a motel two days after their first exchange.

In an aim to overcome the crisis, Han previously said he will look at all options for a new starting point, including the disbandment of the Central Investigation Unit (CIU) under the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (SPO) that handles all high-profile cases.

Also, the SPO has launched an internal inspection into Choi Jae-kyong, the head of the CIU, on suspicion that he advised Kim Kwang-joon on how to deal with the media while Kim was under investigation by special prosecutors.

The inspection, however, has aggravated the internal strife among the prosecution officials, as a group of high-ranking prosecution officials demanded Han voluntarily step down.

Other reform measures include creating an independent investigative body to probe corruption among relatives of the president and senior government officials, officials said.    

The prosecution was also mulling over making an independent counsel a permanent fixture instead of on a case-by-case basis, they said.

The prosecution's exclusive right to indict, which is always a source of criticism and debate, is also under review, as the outgoing chief prosecutor was planning to gradually adopt a jury system in the indictment process.

Choi Jae-kyong, the head of the CIU, also said he will soon resign from his post. (Yonhap News)



<관련 한글 기사>



한상대 총장 사퇴 “고개숙여 사죄”

한상대 검찰총장이 30일 사퇴했다.

한 총장은 이날 오전 10시 서울 서초동 대검청사 15층 회의실에서 사퇴발표 기자회견을 열고 약 1분간 짧은 사퇴의 변을 밝힌 후 검찰 총수직에서 물러났다.

한 총장은 "저는 오늘 검찰총장 직에서 사퇴합니다. 먼저 최근 검찰에서 부장검사 억대 뇌물 사건과 피의자를 상대로 성행위를 한 차마 말씀드리기 조차 부끄러운 사건으로 국민 여러분께 크나큰 충격과 실망 드린 것에 대하여 검찰총장으로서 고개 숙여 사죄를 드립니다"라고 말하고 단상에서 나와 허리를 숙였다.

한 총장은 이어 "이제 검찰을 떠납니다. 떠나는 사람은 말이 없습니다. 검찰 개혁을 포함한 모든 현안을 후임자에게 맡기고 표표히 여러분과 작별하고자 합니다.

여러분, 그동안 감사했습니다. 안녕히 계십시오"라며 사퇴의 변을 마무리했다.

한 총장은 애초 이날 오후 2시 검찰 개혁안과 대국민 사과문을 발표하고 '신임을 묻기 위해' 사표를 제출할 예정이었다.

그러나 물러날 총장이 개혁안을 발표하는 것은 부적절하다는 내부 반발이 이어지고 '조건부 사퇴'가 아니냐는 비판이 제기되자 개혁안 발표를 취소하고 조건없는 사퇴로 입장을 바꾼 것으로 알려졌다.

한 총장은 이날 법무부를 통해 청와대에 사표를 제출했다.

이명박 대통령은 한 총장의 사의를 수용키로 했다.

한 총장의 사퇴에 따라 채동욱 대검 차장이 당분간 총장 직무대행을 맡아 검찰을 지휘하게 된다.

한 총장은 사퇴발표 기자회견 직후 귀가했다. (연합뉴스)