Ministry of Justice Moves to Establish Independent "Corrections Agency," Related Bill Introduced

Assemblyman Chae Hyunil Proposes Amendment to the Government Organization Act
Ministry of Justice: "Task Force Formation Under Discussion"

The Ministry of Justice has begun promoting a plan to separate and elevate the Corrections Headquarters, currently under its jurisdiction, into an independent external agency named the "Corrections Agency." This move aims to significantly enhance the status and expertise of correctional services through an independent organization, considering the increasing importance of correctional work.

Sung-ho Jeong, Minister of Justice, attended the government questioning session on education, social, and cultural affairs held at the National Assembly on the 11th and is reviewing materials. 2026.2.11 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

According to the legal community on March 23, the Ministry of Justice is preparing to establish a dedicated task force (TF) to further develop the organizational structure and expected benefits of launching the Corrections Agency. The ministry plans to deliver its official stance to the National Assembly after consulting with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which is responsible for future organizational restructuring.

In connection with this, on March 18, Assemblyman Chae Hyunil of the Democratic Party of Korea sponsored a government organization act amendment that calls for separating the Corrections Headquarters from the Ministry of Justice and establishing it as an external agency.

This amendment, which was prepared in prior consultation with the Ministry of Justice, stipulates that the Corrections Agency will be led by one commissioner at the political appointment level and one deputy commissioner from the general service. Assemblyman Chae explained, "The Ministry of Justice needs to be reorganized into a more balanced institution, moving away from its traditional focus on prosecutorial work," adding, "By establishing an independent external agency, we can enhance both the expertise and policy effectiveness of correctional administration."

A Ministry of Justice official stated, "Since the related bill was just introduced on March 18, the task force has not yet been formally established, and we are currently conducting in-depth internal discussions."

Justice Minister Sungho Jung had previously sponsored bills for the establishment of a Corrections Agency in both the 20th National Assembly in 2017 and the 21st in 2020, arguing that "the Ministry of Justice, being centered on prosecutorial work, has led to correctional administration being neglected from public attention." At that time, the bills were scrapped due to opposition from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as well as the expiration of the legislative term. However, the current situation is markedly different, as Minister Jung, now the head of the ministry, is directly supporting and driving the initiative.

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