Seoul High Prosecutor Cho Sang-chul, "Stay True to the Basics... Principles Must Not Be Shaken"

Cho Sang-chul, the newly appointed Seoul High Prosecutor General, attending the inauguration ceremony held at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office on the morning of the 11th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Cho Sang-cheol (51, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 23), the new chief prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, emphasized, "Please do your best to fulfill the fundamental mission of protecting constitutional values and enforcing the law fairly by staying true to the basics," and added, "Let's establish a system to ensure that principles and fundamentals are not shaken."

At the inauguration ceremony held at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office on the morning of the 11th, Chief Prosecutor Cho stated, "In difficult and challenging times, we must return to principles and basics," highlighting important matters regarding the operation of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and affiliated offices.

First, emphasizing the basics, Chief Prosecutor Cho urged, "We must respond strictly to acts that deny legal order, but at the same time guarantee human rights and thoroughly comply with due process during the performance of duties." He stressed that in difficult times, it is essential to return to principles and basics, saying, "We must maintain fair handling and consistency in law enforcement based on principles."

He also shared his thoughts on reform. Chief Prosecutor Cho explained, "Reform does not simply mean change," adding, "Reform is about returning to principles and basics and establishing a system that upholds those principles and basics without wavering." He continued, "Many prosecutors are bewildered by the rapid changes in criminal procedures and are concerned about the upcoming confusion," and emphasized, "Especially in such times, I want to stress the importance of always recalling the basics of protecting constitutional values, fair law enforcement, human rights protection, and compliance with due process, and staying true to the essence."

He also proposed strengthening capabilities. According to Chief Prosecutor Cho, sufficient capability must support adherence to basics and fair law enforcement. He explained, "Even if a prosecutor is well-equipped with capabilities, if a case that should have uncovered the truth and resolved grievances is mishandled due to the lack of capability of the person in charge, the parties involved will not accept the outcome."

Additionally, he shared his views on attitude and demeanor. Chief Prosecutor Cho stated, "Even if one has good capabilities, if the attitude or demeanor is poor, those capabilities cannot be properly demonstrated," and added, "If work is handled carelessly or with selfishness, it will leave resentment for the parties involved and accumulate bad karma for the person performing the work."

Meanwhile, Cho, who is a classmate of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, is regarded as a leading 'planning expert' within the prosecution. He served as a prosecutor in the Ministry of Justice's Prosecution Bureau and as head of the Criminal Planning Division, and later as chief prosecutor. He has held key positions in the Ministry of Justice and prosecution, including senior deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 1, spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, public security planning officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and director of the Ministry of Justice's Policy Office.

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