"The People's Prosecution, Police for the People" ... Emphasis on Will for Reforming Power Institutions (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Justice-National Intelligence Service-Ministry of the Interior Joint Briefing on Power Agency Reform

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae (second from the left in the front row), Director of the National Intelligence Service Park Jie-won, and Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin Young are attending a press briefing on reform of power institutions held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Jo In-kyung, Jo Seong-pil, Kim Dong-pyo] On the occasion of the enactment of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office Act (the Corruption Investigation Office Act) and the so-called 'Three Power Institution Reform Acts,' the three major power institutions?the prosecution, police, and National Intelligence Service?expressed their determination to complete the reforms.

On the afternoon of the 16th, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, Director of the National Intelligence Service Park Ji-won, and Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin Young held a joint briefing on 'Power Institution Reform' at the Government Seoul Office. This briefing was held following the promulgation and enforcement of the amendment to the Corruption Investigation Office Act, the amendment to the Police Act establishing the National Investigation Headquarters, and the amendment to the National Intelligence Service Act transferring the National Intelligence Service's counterintelligence investigation authority to the police.

First, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae stated, "The prosecution will firmly establish itself as a public prosecution agency that prosecutes criminals to ensure the proper realization of the state's criminal punishment authority," adding, "The Ministry of Justice will work closely with the prosecution to ensure the successful implementation of investigative authority reform and the restoration of the prosecution's original role, making thorough preparations for enforcement."

Minister Choo said, "The prosecution will faithfully perform its original role as a human rights protector controlling the legality of investigative procedures to prevent abuse of investigative authority or human rights violations," and added, "From now on, it will move forward not as a 'prosecution for the prosecution' but as a 'prosecution for the people.'"

She further promised, "As the supreme supervisor of prosecutorial affairs, I pledge to fulfill the mission of prosecutorial reform that has long remained unresolved and to do my best so that the prosecution can be reborn as a fair institution trusted by the people."

Director of the National Intelligence Service Park Ji-won said, "The reform of the National Intelligence Service, which had been pursued by successive governments but remained incomplete, has finally been completed," and stated, "There will be absolutely no political intervention by the National Intelligence Service going forward." He also promised, "We will fully cooperate in uncovering the truth so that suspicions related to the National Intelligence Service, such as the May 18 incident, Sewol ferry disaster, online comment manipulation, and civilian surveillance, will never be raised again."

Regarding the transfer of counterintelligence investigation authority to the police, he said, "The principle of separating intelligence collection and investigation has been realized, eliminating the possibility of human rights violations," and added, "We will further strengthen cooperation with related agencies to ensure there are no gaps in national security investigations and will also consider establishing a dedicated organization."

He also stated, "We will strengthen scientific intelligence capabilities such as AI (artificial intelligence) and artificial satellites, and protect national interests by preventing espionage and industrial technology leakage," and said, "We will focus our capabilities on responding to hacking and cyberterrorism to protect the people, the nation, and businesses."

Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin Young said regarding the amended Police Act, which centers on the introduction of the autonomous police system and the establishment of the National Investigation Headquarters, "Finally, the legalization of police reform has been achieved," and added, "This is solely in response to the solemn command of the people to become a police force for the people."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will fully introduce the autonomous police system nationwide in all cities and provinces starting next year, and will also launch the National Investigation Headquarters to elevate the responsibility, fairness, and professionalism of police investigations to a new level according to the amended law. 'Autonomous Police Preparation Teams' will also be immediately activated in each city, province, and provincial police agency.

Minister Jin emphasized, "We will complete the reorganization of the investigative system within this year so that the National Investigation Headquarters can be launched in line with the amended Criminal Procedure Act, which includes investigative authority adjustments effective January 1 next year, and prepare measures to guarantee the independence and neutrality of investigative police, such as improvements to personnel and inspection systems," adding, "We will also enhance public trust in police investigations by ensuring procedural rights of parties involved in cases and preventing abuse of authority and human rights violations."

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