[New Year's Address] Minister Choo Mi-ae: "We Must Securely Establish a New Criminal Justice System"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is moving to attend the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 29th. Photo by Jang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae emphasized the stable establishment of the new criminal justice system, including the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police and the launch of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (Gong-su-cheo).

In a New Year's letter sent to Ministry of Justice employees on the afternoon of the day, Minister Choo said, "The hopeful Year of the Ox has dawned," and evaluated, "In 2020, the Ministry of Justice has tirelessly worked for substantial legal innovation under the three principles of 'human rights, livelihood, and rule of law.'"

She said, "Despite the difficult conditions due to COVID-19 throughout the year, I extend my deep respect and gratitude to each member of the Ministry of Justice family who fulfilled their duties," adding, "Along with that, I would like to offer a few requests as we welcome the New Year."

Minister Choo stated, "First, we must stabilize the newly implemented criminal justice system," and added, "There will be significant changes throughout the criminal justice system starting this year, such as investigative authority reform and the launch of Gong-su-cheo. I hope you will concentrate all your capabilities to ensure that the new criminal justice procedures function properly for the people."

She continued, "We must create a 'human rights society where everyone is respected,' based on respect, consideration, and inclusion," and said, "Please strengthen the capacity to promote human rights policies, actively pursue the enactment of the Basic Human Rights Policy Act, and make every effort to develop and implement policies that minimize human rights blind spots."

She emphasized, "We must restore a comfortable daily life to the people," and said, "With the unprecedented prolongation of the infectious disease, ordinary citizens are experiencing a colder winter than ever before. Please actively reflect effective measures to revitalize the livelihood economy throughout legal policies."

She added, "Please make every effort to ensure that laws or systems do not crush the hopes of small business owners and self-employed people who are struggling to restart."

Minister Choo pointed out, "Korea must move toward a safe society where anyone can live with peace of mind," and noted, "Although measures have been prepared against crimes targeting women and children, there are still insufficient parts."

She continued, "Please make thorough efforts to ensure that laws directly related to everyday safety, such as the Stalking Punishment Act, take root in society, and continue to promote groundbreaking alternatives such as treatment and rehabilitation to prevent recidivism for serious mentally ill offenders with a high risk of reoffending after release."

Finally, Minister Choo said, "Lastly, I would like to say one more thing," and stated, "The main task of the Ministry of Justice is to respect the common sense of the people and maintain their ordinary daily lives."

She added, "For this, I hope you do not forget that you, who are quietly working in unseen places today as well, are the main actors of the Ministry of Justice."

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