Jeong Seongho Refutes Calls to Abolish Supplementary Investigation Authority: "Are There Alternatives for Victim Protection If Prosecutors Step Back?"
"The Key to Amending the Criminal Procedure Act Is Victim Protection"
"Fixing Problems After They Arise Is Irresponsible"
Justice Minister Jeong Seongho raised concerns regarding the full abolition of the prosecution’s supplementary investigation authority, asking, "If prosecutors are not allowed to intervene in investigations at all, what alternatives are there for protecting victims, and has this been thoroughly considered?"
On June 12, after attending the 55th National Correctional Officers Martial Arts Tournament held at the Legal Research and Training Institute in Jincheon-gun, North Chungcheong Province, Minister Jeong held a press conference and stated, "The most important aspect of amending the Criminal Procedure Act is victim protection," emphasizing this point.
Minister Jeong explained, "I have never said that the supplementary investigation authority must be maintained," but added, "If abolishing the supplementary investigation authority would result in better protection for crime victims than now, then it should be abolished. The real question is whether such an alternative actually exists."
He continued, "The prosecution must be able to review cases as a whole and listen to appeals from both suspects and victims. There is a prevailing sentiment that, due to distrust towards the prosecution, they should do nothing at all. In such a scenario, I want to ask how we would protect victims."
Minister Jeong specifically mentioned cases involving sexual crimes and those where the victims are socially vulnerable, such as children, people with disabilities, women, and the elderly. He noted, "Sexual crimes often rely on testimony, making them difficult to prove," and explained, "Organizations for women crime victims and women’s rights groups also emphasize the prosecution’s role to ensure that no victim suffers unjustly."
He further stated, "People say filing an objection is enough, but even at the objection stage, costs are incurred. I urge the National Assembly to listen carefully to voices from the field and deliberate thoughtfully on how to provide relief for crime victims who lack power, money, or connections." Regarding the argument that "we can just fix it if problems arise after trying it out," he stressed, "Even if only one person becomes an unjust victim, that is irresponsible," adding, "Justice delayed is justice denied."
Regarding the recently launched Committee for the Future of Human Rights and Respect at the Prosecution Service, Minister Jeong said, "The intent is to use cases that the public distrusts to look back at what happened and what the problems were in the past, so the prosecution can make a fresh start," and added, "It will be operated with complete independence."
On the court ruling to overturn the personnel order for Prosecutor General Jeong Yumi, Minister Jeong said, "I believe it is a highly problematic decision," confirming plans to appeal. He added, "If we treat personnel orders as disciplinary procedures simply because they are considered disadvantageous, it raises concerns about how to manage personnel affairs for civil servants in the future," stressing, "A personnel order is not a disciplinary procedure."
Regarding the Major Crime Investigation Agency scheduled to launch in October, Minister Jeong said, "I am concerned about whether it is possible to establish an organization more than 10 times larger than the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials within a year," adding, "A significant number of prosecutors and investigators will have to transfer, but I understand that the specific personnel numbers have not yet been finalized."
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On this day, Minister Jeong also highlighted the harsh realities facing correctional administration. He said, "Since taking office as Minister of Justice, correctional administration has been my main concern," and added, "Solving the issues of overcrowding and aging correctional facilities is the minimum cost that society must pay to ensure sustainability."
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