Handonghun "If the Ministry of Justice conducts personnel verification, monitoring and questioning are possible, a meaningful progress" (Comprehensive)

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is attending an extraordinary Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. At this Cabinet meeting, the second supplementary budget plan worth 6.2 trillion won will be reviewed and approved. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon said that the Ministry of Justice acquiring the personnel verification function following the abolition of the Blue House Civil Affairs Office is "a meaningful advancement."

On the morning of the 30th, as Minister Han entered the Supreme Court to pay a courtesy visit to Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, he emphasized to the press, "The personnel verification task is not newly created but has existed before. The scope and subjects have not been newly expanded. All are routine tasks conducted within the bounds of the Constitution and laws," adding, "Have the press ever asked the Civil Affairs Officer or the Secretary for Public Office Discipline about personnel verification? I don't think so. Now, that has become possible."

Minister Han continued, "Until now, the Civil Affairs Officer did not even appear before the National Assembly. From now on, the area of personnel verification will be subject to questioning in the National Assembly, audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection, and inquiries from the media," explaining, "I believe that the personnel verification area is a meaningful advancement from a closely guarded secret task of political power in the past to a supervised routine task."

As early as the 31st, at the Cabinet meeting, the partial amendment ordinances on the ‘Regulations on the Collection and Management of Information on Public Office Candidates, etc.’ and the ‘Organization of the Ministry of Justice and Its Affiliated Agencies’ will be submitted and passed, officially establishing the Personnel Information Management Unit directly under Minister Han. The amendment ordinance includes the Yoon Seok-youl administration's plan to abolish the Civil Affairs Office and entrust the personnel verification function to the Ministry of Justice. The Civil Affairs Office had performed the personnel verification function for public officials but was dissolved with the new government.

Specifically, the Personnel Information Management Unit will be newly created as an agency directly under the Minister of Justice to systematically collect and manage personnel information of public office candidates. The Minister of Justice will be delegated the authority of the head of the Ministry of Personnel Management. The work is expected to begin as early as the 7th of next month.

The management unit will consist of a total of 20 members, including the head. The composition includes one prosecutor or senior public official, three prosecutors, one grade 3 or 4 official, four grade 4 or 5 officials, four grade 5 officials, three grade 7 officials, one grade 8 official, one grade 9 official, and two police inspectors. The government announced this plan for public comment from the 24th to 25th, found no notable issues, and completed the review by the Ministry of Government Legislation on the 26th. The amendment also passed the vice-ministerial meeting on the 27th. It is highly likely to be passed as is at the Cabinet meeting on the 31st. If President Yoon immediately promulgates it, it will be implemented right away.

The presidential promulgation takes effect through publication in the official gazette. Publication usually takes about a week after Cabinet approval. Therefore, it is highly likely to officially launch and operate on the 7th. Personnel orders for the management unit will be made to coincide with the launch date, but preparatory work is expected to accelerate after Cabinet approval.

The head of the management unit is expected to be appointed from outside the prosecution. There are also prospects that the head will be selected from former Civil Affairs Office staff or former members of the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Considering concerns about the concentration of power in Minister Han, the Ministry of Justice decided that the minister will not receive interim reports from the Personnel Information Management Unit. Additionally, to prevent personnel information from being used for investigative purposes, a ‘Chinese wall’ (information exchange restriction between departments) will be established within the ministry, and to maintain organizational independence, the office will be located in the annex of the Board of Audit and Inspection in Samcheong-dong.

There are concerns that current and former prosecutors are involved in the Personnel Information Management Unit. Regarding this, Minister Han said, "Although I am not the personnel authority, I will appoint professional public officials responsible for personnel and verification tasks as heads," adding, "There are not many people in Korea who can conduct verification. We plan to prioritize bringing in those who have been involved before and include this as routine work."

In response to a question about whether there are measures to guarantee neutrality and independence when the prosecution investigates the president’s relatives instead of appointing a special inspector, Minister Han replied, "Neutrality and independence are matters for the investigators to uphold," and added, "The investigative agencies have systems in place to conduct investigations independently. Ultimately, it is a matter of will."

When asked about plans related to the next Prosecutor General or senior prosecution personnel appointments, he said, "I will proceed according to the usual procedures. I have nothing to say at this time."

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