Choo Mi-ae "Wrong Investigation Practices Must Be Corrected"... Silent on 'Separation of Investigation and Prosecution' (Comprehensive)

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae Attends Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office New Building Completion Ceremony on 17th
Minister Choo: "Correcting Wrong Investigation Practices is the Foundation of Prosecutorial Reform"
Prosecutor General Yoon Silent on Opposition to Separation of Investigation and Prosecution
21st 'National Chief Prosecutors Meeting'... Turning Point in 'Ministry of Justice-Prosecution' Conflict

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyung-min and Song Seung-yoon] Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae visited Jeonju and emphasized, "Prioritizing the human rights of the people and correcting wrongful investigative practices will be the foundation for prosecutorial reform for the people." She did not provide any additional comments regarding her remarks on the 'separation of investigation and prosecution within the prosecution,' which showed differences of opinion with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and others.

On the morning of the 17th, Minister Chu attended the opening ceremony of the new Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office building and said, "Please actively participate to ensure the success of prosecutorial reform. Prosecutorial reform does not only mean grand things such as the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials or legal amendments and organizational restructuring."

She continued, "With the completion of the new building, the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office should do its utmost to provide better legal services and keep in mind that the prosecution is an institution that protects human rights."

"The prosecution was established to protect human rights," she said, adding, "We must keep the prosecution's fundamental roles and functions in mind and ensure that human rights are not violated in the exercise of prosecutorial authority."

Minister Chu also stated, "The Ministry of Justice is implementing regulations that limit late-night and long-hour interrogations and improve the practices of disclosing suspect information and photo lines," and "We are expanding the right to counsel participation to all parties involved in cases and reviewing improvements in the submission and disclosure methods of indictments."

Furthermore, she said, "Recently, a job-seeking person in their 20s was deceived by a voice phishing gang impersonating a prosecutor and took their own life. The prosecution must do its best to protect the lives and property of women, youth, and the disabled as much as political cases," adding, "The Ministry of Justice has strengthened the capabilities of the criminal and trial divisions accordingly and will continue to provide support without hesitation."

Minister Chu said, "I worked as a judge here (Jeonju District Court) for two years starting in 1993, so I have a special affection and deep feelings," and added, "I hope that with the completion of the new building, you will provide better legal services and do your best."

When asked by reporters about Prosecutor General Yoon's opposition to the separation of investigation and prosecution during his visit to Busan, Minister Chu did not respond.

Minister Chu's visit to the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office was the first face-to-face meeting with internal prosecution officials since Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol expressed his fundamental opposition to the 'separation of investigation and prosecution.' After the opening ceremony, Minister Chu had lunch with officials from the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office. In the afternoon, she planned to visit the Jeonju Juvenile Detention Center.

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is delivering a greeting at the meeting of nationwide district prosecutors and election-related deputy chief prosecutors held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Also attending the event were Noh Jeong-yeon, head of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office, classified as part of the 'Yoon Seok-yeol line,' and Kim Woo-seok, head of the Jeongeup branch of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office, who publicly opposed Minister Chu's stance on case command authority. Therefore, there is speculation that some discussion regarding the series of prosecutorial reform proposals initiated by the Ministry of Justice took place during the lunch. Although the lunch was held privately, considering the attendees, it is possible that frontline prosecutors expressed their opinions on Prosecutor General Yoon's opposing remarks, and Minister Chu responded with counterarguments.

The Ministry of Justice and the prosecution are expected to strongly clash again this week over the proposal to separate investigation and prosecution. The nationwide prosecutors' chiefs meeting, chaired by the Minister of Justice on the 21st, will be a turning point. The meeting, held at 10 a.m. at the Government Complex Gwacheon, is regarded as a critical juncture to gauge the direction of the conflict between the two institutions. The meeting will collect opinions from prosecutors' chiefs on the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution, the enactment of subordinate laws related to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials bill, and listen to opinions on a decentralized criminal justice system and improvements in prosecutorial investigative practices and organizational culture.

Although not an official agenda item, the increasingly controversial proposal to separate investigation and prosecution is also expected to be addressed in some form. Given that many within the prosecution hold skeptical views on the separation proposal, if Minister Chu reiterates her intention to push it forward or directly criticizes Prosecutor General Yoon's prior 'opposing opinion,' the conflict is expected to deepen further.

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is drinking water at the meeting of the heads of district prosecutors' offices and election-related deputy prosecutors held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 10th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Prosecutor General Yoon will not attend this meeting. Some analysts interpret Yoon's absence as a way to express opposition to the separation proposal. It is unprecedented for the nationwide prosecutors' chiefs meeting to be held without the Prosecutor General. On the 13th, during a closed-door meeting held at the Busan High Prosecutors' Office and District Prosecutors' Office, Yoon emphasized, "Investigation is a process to prepare for criminal prosecution, so investigation serves prosecution," and "Investigation and prosecution inevitably become one entity." This was interpreted as a veiled criticism of Minister Chu's proposal to separate investigation and prosecution.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Yoon will visit Gwangju on the 20th, one day before the nationwide prosecutors' chiefs meeting. On that day at 2 p.m., Yoon will visit the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office and District Prosecutors' Office to meet frontline prosecutors working under the jurisdiction, including Park Sung-jin, head of the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office, and Moon Chan-seok, head of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office. Although there was speculation that the Gwangju visit might be changed due to the nationwide prosecutors' chiefs meeting convened by Minister Chu the following day, the schedule will proceed as planned.

During his visit to Gwangju, Yoon plans to communicate with frontline prosecutors through a private staff meeting after informal talks with executives. Moon Chan-seok, who will attend Yoon's encouragement visit, is a target of the prosecutors' chiefs meeting and has recently attracted attention for his outspoken remarks. On the 10th, at a nationwide district prosecutors' chiefs and election-related chief prosecutors' meeting, he publicly criticized Lee Sung-yoon, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, saying, "It is unacceptable to refuse the Prosecutor General's orders."

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