If the 'Gobal Saju' Allegation Is True, the Prosecutor General Is 'Privatizing'... Will the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Investigation Information Division Be Revised Again?

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The so-called 'accusation solicitation' suspicion, which alleges that the prosecution solicited accusations against ruling party figures during Yoon Seok-yeol's tenure as Prosecutor General, is heating up.

If this suspicion is proven true, it seems difficult for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Investigation Information Division to avoid the aftermath. This division was known as the Investigation Information Policy Division in April last year when the incident occurred. Son Jun-sung, Human Rights Protection Officer at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, is suspected of having directly drafted and distributed the accusation documents delivered to Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, while serving as the head of the Investigation Information Policy Division during former Prosecutor General Yoon's tenure.

A key point in the suspicion is that the Prosecutor General privatized the Investigation Information Policy Division. Accordingly, the legal community expects that after some progress is made in uncovering the truth behind this suspicion, follow-up measures regarding the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Investigation Information Division will be taken. There is also a forecast that voices demanding its abolition may arise depending on the circumstances.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Investigation Information Division is considered one of the most powerful entities within the prosecution because it gathers investigative information nationwide. The information collected here is filtered and directly reported to the Prosecutor General.

The origin dates back to the establishment of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Central Investigation Bureau in April 1961. In 1973, it was renamed the Special Investigation Division and handled cases ordered by the president to be investigated. In June 1987, under the Roh Tae-woo administration, the organization expanded further. At that time, the government declared a 'war on crime,' and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Central Investigation Division took the lead. It gathered and utilized information on various violent crimes and corruption cases.

In 1995, the Crime Information Department was established within the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Central Investigation Division, further subdividing its functions. Then, in January 1999, this Crime Information Department became independent, renamed the Crime Information Planning Office, and operated autonomously. At this time, the Crime Information Planning Office took charge of gathering information needed by the Special Investigation Division and the Public Security Division, establishing itself as a core department. During its heyday, it was even called the 'Prosecutor General's National Intelligence Service' for collecting information required by the Prosecutor General. It was also noted as an essential course for deputy prosecutors about to be promoted to chief prosecutors.

The Park Geun-hye administration, as part of prosecutorial reform, announced plans to abolish the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Central Investigation Division and reduce the functions of the Crime Information Planning Office, but in reality, it remained unchanged. Then, with the Moon Jae-in administration, it frequently became a target for reform.

In February 2018, former Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il reorganized the Crime Information Planning Office into the Investigation Information Policy Division to clarify its roles and functions, reducing the staff from about 40 to around 10. It was later gradually increased to operate with 30 members. In August last year, former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae announced a prosecution system reform plan, downgrading the Investigation Information Policy Division to the Investigation Information Division. Its functions were limited to collecting investigative information focused on human rights supervision and judicial control.

Since then, the Investigation Information Division has been evaluated as having reduced indiscriminate information gathering and the misuse of information in improper investigations to some extent. However, despite this, the recent suspicion has once again drawn attention to it as a target for reform, placing it in a position where the direction of future reorganization is uncertain.

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