"Corruption Investigation Office, Unable to Investigate All Cases... Selective Filing System Needed"

There have been opinions that the 'Selective Registration System' should be reinstated to strengthen the investigative capabilities of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).

Kim Jin-wook, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency, is giving a greeting at the "Joint Academic Conference for Discussing Development Plans of the Corruption Investigation Office" held on the 25th at EL Tower in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 25th, the CIO jointly held an academic conference titled "Strengthening the Investigative and Organizational Capabilities of the CIO as an Investigation and Prosecution Agency for High-ranking Officials' Crimes" at EL Tower in Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, together with the Korea Institute of Criminology and Justice Policy, the Korean Society of Criminal Law, and the Korean Society of Comparative Criminal Law.

Professors Oh Byung-doo of Hongik University Law School and Lee Geun-woo of Gachon University Law School, who appeared as presenters, advocated for the reintroduction of the Selective Registration System that was initially operated by the CIO. The Selective Registration System is a system where investigative agencies select which complaints or accusations received to register as cases for investigation. The CIO revised its case handling regulations to a full registration system after controversies over political bias arose.

Professor Lee said, "The CIO is not an omnipotent or all-powerful agency but should be composed as a supplementary yet strong institution that investigates exceptionally when existing investigative bodies fail to conduct proper investigations and maintains prosecutions when necessary." Professor Oh stated, "Considering the practical limitations of insufficient human and material resources, the special nature of the cases handled, the target crimes, and the subjects of investigation, it is inherently impossible for the CIO to investigate all cases comprehensively. 'Selection and concentration' is inevitable."

Professor Oh also called for the establishment of a permanent investigative consultative body involving the CIO and other investigative agencies. The idea is to organize an 'Investigation Agencies Consultative Body' chaired by the Prime Minister's Office with the attendance of the Ministers or Vice Ministers of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Justice, and a 'Case Coordination Consultative Body' with members including the Deputy Chief of the CIO and the Deputy Chief of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, to enhance investigative capabilities through inter-agency information exchange and organic cooperation.

Kim Jin-wook, the head of the CIO, said in his congratulatory remarks, "Three years after the enactment of the CIO Act and two years since the agency's launch, it is necessary to strengthen investigative capabilities so that the CIO can establish itself as the nation's anti-corruption investigative agency by reflecting the experience of organizational operation and areas for improvement."

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