Enforcement Decree for 'Geomsu Wanbak' Response Approved at Vice Ministerial Meeting... Scheduled for Cabinet Meeting on the 6th

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is holding a briefing on the ruling of the Lone Star international investment dispute (ISDS) case at the Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province on the 31st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice's presidential decree on the "Scope of Crimes for Prosecutors' Investigation Initiation," prepared in response to the so-called 'Geomsu Wanbak (complete removal of prosecutorial investigation rights)' bill, passed the vice ministerial meeting on the 1st. Accordingly, the amendment will be submitted to the Cabinet meeting scheduled for the 6th.

The Ministry of Justice announced that the amendment was approved at the vice ministerial meeting and explained, "We comprehensively reviewed various opinions collected during the legislative notice period and supplemented the existing legislative notice draft by accepting some of the opinions."

The amendment mainly reestablishes the concept of corruption and economic crimes that prosecutors can initiate investigations on and reclassifies the target crimes. Abuse of authority, dereliction of duty, and money politics (bribery, inducement, donation acts) can be regarded as corruption crimes, while drugs (excluding simple possession and use) and organized crime (limited to economic crime purposes) are considered economic crimes that prosecutors can investigate. Perjury, false accusation, and other 'crimes undermining judicial order,' as well as 'crimes for which individual laws stipulate prosecutors to file complaints or request investigations,' are also defined as other important crimes. Article 3 of the Enforcement Decree on Investigation Initiation Regulations (Crimes Directly Related) was deleted because the 'direct relevance' requirement for cases prosecutors can initiate investigations on was deemed excessively restrictive without legal delegation.

The Ministry of Justice stated, "We will make every effort to improve the system and prepare for the enforcement of the law to minimize national crime response gaps and public harm that may occur after the amended Prosecutors' Office Act takes effect on the 10th. Additionally, we will continuously promote system improvements for any inconveniences experienced by the public by analyzing the progress of the amended law's enforcement."

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