Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Justice, "Prosecutorial Reform Requires Voices for Change from Within"

New Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is saluting the national flag at the inauguration ceremony held at the Gwacheon Ministry of Justice building on the 3rd. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Newly appointed Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae said on the 3rd, "Prosecutorial reform cannot be achieved by external forces alone; voices calling for change and reform must also come from within the prosecution."

At the inauguration ceremony held in the underground auditorium of the Government Complex Gwacheon that morning, Minister Choo urged the prosecution by stating, "Prosecutorial reform is an inevitable demand of the times that no one can oppose." She criticized the prosecution's organizational selfishness by saying, "The Ministry of Justice and its affiliated institutions must return to the 'public servant's attitude' of humbly serving the sovereign people, rather than pursuing individual organizational interests." At the same time, she clearly expressed her willingness to engage in dialogue with the prosecution by adding, "We will not regard the prosecution solely as a target of reform but as a partner in reform, and achieve successful prosecutorial reform that the people desire."

Furthermore, Minister Choo indirectly hinted that she could pressure the prosecution by utilizing the authority over prosecutorial personnel appointments and investigation directives. She emphasized, "To restore public trust in the Ministry of Justice, we will accelerate 탈(prosecution removal) and democratic control over the prosecution," and stated, "It is clear that restoring the status of the Ministry of Justice is an essential prerequisite for the 'prosecution to find its rightful place.'"

As immediate tasks for the Ministry of Justice after her inauguration, Minister Choo pointed to the establishment of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (Gong-su-cheo), recently passed by the National Assembly, and the follow-up measures for the expected soon-to-be-passed adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and the police. She said, "We must ensure thorough follow-up measures so that these can be smoothly implemented in the legal field," adding, "This should serve as the 'priming water of reform' that changes not only enforcement decrees but also organizational culture and existing practices from the root."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.