President Moon: "Anti-corruption efforts more important in second half of term... Corruption Investigation Office must launch next month" (Update)

Choo Mi-ae and Yoon Seok-yeol Together... President Moon: "Ministry of Justice and Prosecution Should Cooperate for Bold Reform"

President Moon Jae-in is speaking at the 6th Fair Society Anti-Corruption Policy Council held on the afternoon of the 22nd at the Blue House, attended by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl (left).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in said on the 22nd, "Anti-corruption efforts are more important in the latter half of the administration," adding, "because the government itself tends to become complacent." He also urged the National Assembly, "I ask for your cooperation so that the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (Gong-su-cheo) can be launched next month as stipulated by law."

On the same day, President Moon held the 6th Fair Society Anti-Corruption Policy Council at the Blue House in the afternoon and addressed the heads of related ministries and power institutions attending the meeting, saying, "Let us persist until the end and complete the fair society that the people desire."

This anti-corruption council was held about seven months after the 5th meeting in November last year. The main agenda items included 'crimes infringing on people's livelihood' such as illegal private loans, voice phishing, and cyber gambling, as well as countermeasures against unfair practices on online platforms due to the spread of the digital economy.

President Moon said, "It is a very timely agenda to overcome the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)," and added, "As the economy worsens, crimes infringing on people's livelihood and gambling-related crimes may increase. I ask for strong responses from the beginning."

He also pointed out, "Unfair practices in the online platform market and consumer damage in non-face-to-face transactions are emerging as new issues," and urged, "While strictly responding to crimes and unfair practices, we must quickly complete the necessary institutional foundations."

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae (seventh from the left) and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl (left) are listening to President Moon Jae-in's remarks at the 6th Fair Society Anti-Corruption Policy Council held at the Blue House on the afternoon of the 22nd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The meeting was attended by Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance; Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education; as well as heads of major power institutions such as Kim Hyun-joon, Commissioner of the National Tax Service; Noh Seok-hwan, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service; and Min Gap-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency. Notably, amid clashes between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution over the inspection of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's case, the first face-to-face meeting between Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl took place.

President Moon said, "Last week, both the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution launched task forces (TF) for human rights investigations," and added, "Since power institutions themselves have taken the initiative in reform, I hope they cooperate with each other as determined to 'make this the first year of human rights investigations,' and prepare bold reform measures so that the people can feel the changes." He continued, "Please also make thorough preparations for follow-up measures related to the High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Agency Act and the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and the police."

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