On September 23, the Prosecution Service conducted a search of four locations including the residence of Justice Minister Cho Kuk and the universities that his children had applied to. This was the first time in South Korean history that prosecutors searched the house of an incumbent minister of justice, who directs and oversees the prosecutor general and the prosecutors. The court issued the search warrant, meaning it saw the possibility of irregularities. The investigation is focusing on securing evidence on allegations raised against Cho's wife, Professor Chung Kyung-sim. Any involvement of Cho is also a key issue, which appears to be the intention behind the search of his house.

Professor Chung is suspected of resorting to illegal methods in getting her children admitted to university and graduate school and in investing in a private equity fund. If such allegations turn out to be true, the key in the investigation will be whether or not Cho was aware of such actions prior to the execution and whether he made any contribution in the process. Prosecutors are investigating to see if there were any irregularities in the college admissions of Cho's son, following his daughter. The investigation appears to be entering its final stage.

The Prosecution Service is going all out in this investigation. They should. Otherwise, it would be difficult for them to avoid the various allegations against the Prosecution Service. While the prosecutors’ investigation was ongoing, the press raised several allegations against the justice minister and his family. Among them, more than a few could not have been known to anyone other than the prosecutors. Naturally, this triggered a debate on the possibility of prosecutors releasing information on suspected crimes before an official prosecution. There were also frequent actions that raised questions about the prosecutors’ intention, such as their rushed prosecution of Professor Chung and the complaints on reforms expressed by some senior prosecutors on the Intranet. Prosecutors searched over thirty places in four occasions, triggering criticism of an excessive investigation.

The response from the politicians was also problematic. More than half of the people think that the latest investigation is appropriate. Yet the government and the ruling party continue to condemn "Yoon Seok-yeol's Prosecution Service." This day, Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Hae-chan criticized, "This is an investigation of an unusual case trying to dig up any piece of dirt that they can find." The opposition parties also pressured the Prosecution Service, as if they had to draw a "guilty" verdict. The base attacks between the ruling and opposition parties are becoming more intense.

But a bigger concern is a divide of the people, which have grown farther apart, and the momentum in state administration, which has practically died, as the investigation continues for a month. The president's approval rating has crashed into the 40% level. Uncertainty in the global economy is greater than ever, and the government has a pile of work to take care of including its response to the economic aggression by Japan. The nation is facing a difficult situation, which may require more than the people coming together as one. Yet in this situation, public opinion is split, and more and more people are losing faith in our government. We have more than enough reasons for the prosecutors to uncover the truth as soon as possible.

The latest incident was triggered by the privileges enjoyed by the upper class in our society, by injustice and by incompetent politics. But it also revealed that the Prosecution Service has a lot to reflect on. They should do their utmost to silence the criticism of leaking details on suspected crime before an official charge and of serving political interests.