Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo resigns over laws, President Moon Jae-in accepts it

Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo leaves the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Friday after President Moon Jae-in accepted his resignation. [YONHAP]

President Moon Jae-in accepted Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo's resignation Friday, protesting new laws cutting the prosecution's powers, but rejected the resignations of Kim's deputy and chiefs of six high prosecutor offices.

Kim had offered to resign on April 17, but Moon rejected it. The president had a meeting with Kim on April 18 and told him to focus on communicating with lawmakers in the National Assembly, and continue in his post until his term ended next May.

Presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a written statement that the president was forced to accept Kim’s resignation. He rejected resignations from Deputy Prosecutor General Park Sung-jin and other chiefs because of “concerns about a vacuum in prosecution services.”

BYLEESUN-MIN[summerlee@joongang.co.kr]