Ministry of Justice: "Order for Shincheonji Search and Seizure Emphasizes Strict Measures"

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The Ministry of Justice has once again clarified its position in response to claims that Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's order to conduct a search and seizure of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (Shincheonji) was an overreach of authority.

On the 5th, the Ministry of Justice announced to the press corps, "The instruction given to the prosecution on the 28th of last month was to promptly initiate forced investigations, including search and seizure, in close cooperation with related agencies such as the police, even if there is no complaint or request for investigation from relevant organizations, in cases of intentional and organized obstruction of epidemiological investigations." It explained, "This was an order concerning a specific type of crime, emphasizing immediate and strict measures in an urgent situation where community infections could rapidly spread nationwide."

The Ministry of Justice cited specific examples such as ▲designation of special investigation teams at frontline prosecution offices for the savings bank crisis ▲instructions to request the maximum legal sentence in court for offenders involved in illegal filming and distribution ▲orders to request arrest warrants and make on-the-spot arrests for habitual drunk driving offenders, emphasizing, "In the past, there have been numerous cases where instructions were issued regarding investigation methods, detention, or sentencing for certain types of crimes that were socially problematic or demanded strict response by the public."

It added, "In an unprecedented situation where the lives and safety of the people are threatened, we believe that finding urgent measures is more important than engaging in fruitless debates."

Minister Choo had instructed the prosecution on the 28th of last month to strictly respond through forced investigations if there were illegal acts such as obstruction or refusal of epidemiological investigations related to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

During the government questioning session at the National Assembly the previous day, Minister Choo reiterated her position in response to criticism that the search and seizure order was an overreach, stating, "Since the group known as Shincheonji has been identified, a full-scale effort to block transmission during the 14-day incubation period is necessary, and forced investigations are immediately required for quarantine purposes."

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