Handonghun: "Minister of Justice's Investigation Control Authority Exercised Restrictively for Prosecution Neutrality"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Han Dong-hoon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, who is about to face the National Assembly confirmation hearing, stated on the 4th that "the investigative command authority of the Minister of Justice should be exercised as restrictively as possible to guarantee the political neutrality and independence of the prosecution."

In the hearing response materials secured by Representative Yang Hyang-ja's office of the International Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 4th, Han said, "Since the Moon Jae-in administration, there has been public criticism that the exercise of the investigative command authority by the Minister of Justice was inappropriate in terms of content and outcome," adding, "If the investigative command authority is abused, there is a concern that the political neutrality of the prosecution could be compromised."

Regarding the controversial remark about the 'prosecutor general's subordinate' between former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and President-elect Yoon Seok-youl during his time as Prosecutor General, Han said, "I believe that the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution should faithfully perform their respective roles based on the principle of checks and balances while mutually respecting the powers granted by the Constitution and laws."

He also responded about the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office Joint Securities Crime Investigation Unit (Joint Investigation Unit), which was abolished in 2020, saying, "I think it is necessary to actively consider establishing a specialized department in the form of a Joint Investigation Unit."

The Joint Investigation Unit was responsible for investigating financial crimes such as stock manipulation from 2014 to 2020 and earned the nickname "the Grim Reaper of the securities world." However, it was abolished in January 2020 following the policy to reduce direct investigation departments by the prosecution under former Minister Choo Mi-ae.

Afterwards, as large-scale financial crimes such as the Lime and Optimus scandals occurred one after another, calls for the revival of the Joint Investigation Unit arose, but former Minister Choo drew a line, saying it was "a place that conducts illegal investigations by utilizing prisoners who know finance well" and "a hotbed of corruption crimes."

Han said, "There have been criticisms that the financial market has become chaotic since the abolition of the Joint Investigation Unit, and it is difficult to conduct investigations with a sense of speed through the newly established cooperation team," adding, "Despite having played a significant role in creating a fair financial market and protecting investors, it is difficult to understand why the Joint Investigation Unit was abolished."

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