Legal Affairs Officer Kwon Naegeon, Who Led the Designation of Dedicated Prosecutors for Developmental Disabilities, Resigns

First Introduction of Conditional Non-Prosecution with Educational Requirement for People with Developmental Disabilities
Led to Designation of Dedicated Prosecutors
A Milestone in Shifting from ‘Punishment’ to ‘Education’
“A Criminal Justice System That Does Not Ignore Injustice Must Be Maintained”

Kwon Naegeon, the Legal Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Justice, who had been recognized as a leading figure in planning·public security and as a human rights-oriented prosecutor, announced his intention to resign on April 24. He was the first to introduce conditional non-prosecution with an educational requirement for cases involving people with developmental disabilities, which led to the designation of dedicated prosecutors for such cases.

On this day, Legal Affairs Officer Kwon posted a resignation message on the prosecution’s internal network (e-Pros) stating, "During my more than 20 years as a prosecutor, I have received help from many people," and added, "I am grateful to the prosecution colleagues with whom I have worked."

He also expressed concerns regarding the reform of the criminal justice system, which centers on the complete separation of investigation and indictment. He said, "I was unable to find an answer to the question of how to define the prosecution in a single word," but continued, "The fact that I did not simply overlook unjust behavior or unfortunate circumstances was what empowered me to work as a prosecutor and was a strength of the current system." He further stated, "I hope that, during the process of judicial system reform, we do not end up ignoring injustice or being unable to help others in distress even when we see their suffering."

He left words of praise for his colleagues in the prosecution as well. He said, "There are investigators and staff members whose names go unrecognized even after exemplary investigations, and they have worked with a purer sense of duty than prosecutors," adding, "My personal achievements, appointments, and awards were possible thanks to their sacrifices."

As the Legal Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor Kwon has overseen judicial system improvements, reviews of the constitutionality of laws, and the issuance of authoritative interpretations. He previously served as Deputy Spokesperson at the Ministry of Justice in 2021, Head of the Criminal Department 3 at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, Director of Human Rights Planning at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and Public Relations Officer at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

During his time as a prosecutor, he was the first to introduce conditional non-prosecution with an educational requirement for suspects with developmental disabilities, thereby changing the previous punishment-centered approach. This measure was later institutionalized and spread to prosecutors' offices nationwide, eventually leading to the designation of dedicated prosecutors for people with developmental disabilities.

While working at the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, he set a precedent by making the first decision as a prosecutor to file a birth registration for a child who had been neglected without being registered at birth. He also received "Blue Belt" (Level 2 certified specialist at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office) certification in the field of family·women policy.

As Head of the Criminal Department 3 at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, he handled the 2023 "Itaewon Club Group Drug" case, indicting the drug supply ring under detention. During his tenure as Director of Human Rights Planning at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, he promoted the introduction of a system that allows visually impaired individuals to listen to case records in audio format during the prosecution investigation process.

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