Sungju Park, New Head of National Investigation Headquarters: "Separation of Investigation and Prosecution Is a Demand of the Times"

On June 30, Sungju Park, the new head of the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency, stated, "We are currently standing at a crucial turning point regarding the reform of the criminal justice system," and added, "We can no longer delay the era's demand for the separation of investigation and prosecution based on the principles of checks and balances."

Sungju Park, the new head of the National Investigation Headquarters. Photo by the National Police Agency

At his inauguration ceremony that day, Park emphasized, "This is not simply a matter of distributing authority among agencies. It is an important process of shaping a criminal justice system that truly serves the people," and continued, "We must live up to the expectations of the public."

Park stated, "We must conduct investigations strictly and fairly in accordance with the law and principles, and establish ourselves as an investigative agency trusted by the public by strengthening our professionalism," and added, "I will work to enhance the investigative capabilities of the police."

Park also said, "We will actively respond to increasingly sophisticated and transnational crimes, and revise investigation-related laws and improve systems so that the police's investigative capabilities can reach a new level," adding, "We will significantly strengthen education and training for investigators and update manuals and guidelines."

Park declared, "By eradicating crime, which is the core mission of investigative police, we will protect the peaceful daily lives of the people," and continued, "We will place the highest priority on major crimes that threaten people's livelihoods, such as phishing crimes, drug offenses, leading room scams, and illegal private financing, and apply a zero-tolerance policy to them."

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