The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has announced a draft of new investigation rules that define the relationship between special judicial police officers (special prosecutors) and prosecutors, ahead of the abolition of prosecutors' investigative command authority. The new investigation rules explicitly state that prosecutors can only provide guidance and advice to special prosecutors, without any coercive power. This appears to be aimed at enhancing the autonomy of special prosecutors in their investigations. However, concerns are being raised about the possibility of inadequate investigations or case concealment because there are no sanctions against special prosecutors who do not follow the prosecutor's guidance and advice. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office plans to analyze and evaluate the operational status of special prosecutors, and special prosecutors will be subject to supplementary investigations and corrective action requests from prosecutors, just like the police.
