Current Prosecutor and Police University Graduate: "Jungsuchung Is a Revival of the Japanese Special Higher Police"... "Its Purpose Is to Punish Opposition Forces as National Criminals"

Seoul Seocho-dong Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] A current prosecutor has claimed that the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Jungsucheong) being promoted by the ruling party is essentially creating another police organization, making it no different from the Special Higher Police (Tokubetsu Koto Keisatsu) of the Japanese colonial era.

Amid growing opposition from prosecutors to the ‘separation of investigation and prosecution’ plan, which involves establishing the Jungsucheong and the Public Prosecution Office to eliminate the prosecution’s investigative authority, an interview with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol harshly criticizing the ruling party’s legislative push as a “de facto ‘dismantling of the prosecution,’ an obliteration of the rule of law, and a destruction of the constitutional spirit” was released on the 2nd, signaling expected repercussions.

According to the legal community on the 2nd, Prosecutor Seong Gi-beom of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office posted an article titled ‘Jungsucheong: Summoning the Special Higher Police of the Japanese Colonial Era’ on the prosecutors’ internal network the previous afternoon, making these claims.

Prosecutor Seong has a unique background, having graduated from the Korean National Police University in 2004 and served as a police officer before passing the 50th Judicial Examination in 2008, completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and being appointed as a prosecutor in 2011. He also completed an LL.M. program at Boston University School of Law in 2017 and registered as a New York State attorney in 2019.

In his post, Prosecutor Seong pointed out, “The 21 lawmakers including Hwang Un-ha are summoning the ghost of the Special Higher Police (Tokko), a relic of the former Japanese Empire.”

He explained, “The Tokko was an organization established within the Ministry of Home Affairs after an assassination attempt on Emperor Meiji in 1910, expanding the higher police, which had previously only handled ideological offenders, to deal with ideological matters.”

Prosecutor Seong added, “The Tokko’s middle managers and higher-ranking members were recruited from prestigious universities, having passed the higher civil service examinations in administration and judiciary, and the Tokko units were newly established within the Police Bureau of the Ministry of Home Affairs and in the police departments of major prefectures.”

He continued, “At that time, although prefectural governors directed police departments, the Tokko did not follow orders from local officials or police chiefs but reported directly to the Minister of Home Affairs.”

Prosecutor Seong emphasized, “The Jungsucheong is a separate police organization dedicated to specific matters.”

Regarding this, he criticized, “The draft Jungsucheong Act designates the head of the investigative agency as ‘Chief Investigator’ and the deputy as ‘Deputy Chief Investigator,’ with all other members classified as investigators from grade 1 to grade 7, effectively applying the Police Officers Act as is.”

Targeting Representative Hwang, he said, “Even if a former police officer turned lawmaker was involved in the proposal, openly structuring it like a police organization shows a lack of imagination. The ‘Public Office Corruption Investigation Agency Act,’ which at least mimics ‘prosecutors,’ seems like a truly great law in comparison. This is no laughing matter.”

He stated, “In other words, the Jungsucheong is plainly creating a new police organization. The budget for this will be at least several hundred billion won, and it’s unlikely they reviewed the entire budget plan before proposing it. The prosecution at least has revenue budgets, but those hundreds of billions are welfare funds, which is truly regrettable.”

Prosecutor Seong pointed out, “Moreover, the investigative duties related to the so-called six major crimes, which were left to prosecutors due to their national importance, are being taken away even before the ink on the amended Prosecutors’ Office Act has dried. They are creating an organization with the structure of a police force and assigning it the investigation of the most serious crimes. If this isn’t Tokko, then what is?”

He added, “Due to the adjustment of investigative authority, prosecutors have lost much of their effective control over judicial police. Naturally, prosecutors have little means to control the Jungsucheong beyond warrant requests or supplementary investigation demands.”

He continued, “In a liberal democratic and rule-of-law country, investigative agencies can inflict the most severe infringements on citizens’ fundamental rights. The prosecutors’ authority to control the legality of these agencies’ duties has been completely stripped away under the pretext of reducing prosecutors’ powers.”

He expressed concern, “After stripping prosecutors of their precious mission, another monster called Jungsucheong has been established under the name of law. No one, including prosecutors, can control the Jungsucheong, which holds the status and duties of the Tokko.”

He added, “While prosecutors had to conduct investigations with the resolve to take responsibility up to the courtroom, the Tokko arrested ideological offenders as if they were national offenders.”

Prosecutor Seong stressed, “The Jungsucheong is an organization devised with a specific purpose in mind.”

He explained, “The Jungsucheong is composed of special public officials of grade 7 or higher (similar to the National Intelligence Service), investigating only major crimes without interference from anyone. Nevertheless, it is an unprecedented organization, created suddenly like a foreign legion without history, experience, or know-how.”

He noted, “In the Japanese Empire, after Emperor Meiji’s death in 1912 and the accession of his son Emperor Taisho, some forces emphasized constitutional democracy, raising a liberal atmosphere throughout society. This so-called ‘Taisho Democracy’ emergence was met with the Tokko, which was devised to douse this spirit, aligning with the interests of bureaucrats, military, and conglomerates reluctant to change the existing system.”

He pointed out, “Despite several prosecutorial reforms over the past three years, multiple investigations into the living powers, attempts to discipline the Prosecutor General, and various political events, the Jungsucheong suddenly appeared at an odd time.”

He questioned, “Is it really so odd? Just as new wine is put into new wineskins, don’t these lawmakers (including Representative Hwang) intend to wield a new sword to severely punish any forces opposing their views as so-called national offenders? In any case, that’s how I see it. That’s why the Jungsucheong is the Tokko.”

At the end of his article, Prosecutor Seong said, “You may laugh off my words, but even if you are not a prosecutor or a public official, if you are a citizen of a liberal democracy, you should not laugh off this ridiculous situation. The foundation of a rule-of-law state that protects the liberal democratic order is clearly shaken by this proposed ‘Jungsucheong Act.’”

He added, “Of course, even if the Jungsucheong is established, I will devote myself more faithfully to my duties so that this article will be ridiculed as nonsense and that citizens’ fundamental rights are protected.”

He concluded, “I have much to say about the Public Prosecution Office as well, but since it concerns my own position and you might criticize me for protecting my own interests, I will just say ‘Please save me!’ and step back for now.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, Prosecutor General Yoon clearly expressed opposition to the ruling party’s plan to establish the Jungsucheong and the Public Prosecution Office, the ‘separation of investigation and prosecution’ plan, in a media interview.

Yoon is expected to officially state his position on the ruling party’s push for the Jungsucheong installation either later that day or after visiting the Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office and District Prosecutors’ Office tomorrow.

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