Jung Sung-ho: "Amended Criminal Procedure Act Must Be Quickly Supplemented or Revised If Side Effects Arise"

Amendment to Criminal Procedure Act Abolishing Prosecutors' Supplementary Investigation Rights
Passes National Assembly Plenary Session on July 31

Jung Sung-ho, Minister of Justice, emphasized the active role of the government regarding the amended Criminal Procedure Act that passed the National Assembly on July 31. He stated, "If negative side effects arise on this path we are taking for the first time—contrary to our good intentions or expectations—I hope we will not hesitate to promptly supplement and amend the legislation as necessary."

Sungho Jeong, Minister of Justice, is reporting on current issues at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Through his personal social networking account, Minister Jung said, "The Ministry of Justice will also actively work and continue to conduct thorough reviews so that the new criminal justice system can truly empower citizens and be recognized as a successful reform through the realization of justice and the protection of victims."

He announced that with the passage of the amended Criminal Procedure Act, prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights have now been abolished, stating, "From now on, prosecutors can no longer conduct investigations," and, "A fundamental change is beginning."

Minister Jung explained, "The success or failure of reform does not lie in simply changing the existing order, but rather in how much it can enrich and improve the lives of the people." He further said, "Even the most lofty ideals, noble justifications, or grand slogans are all secondary; what is most important is whether there is real, tangible benefit to the citizens and their livelihoods."

He added, "History throughout the ages proves that reforms which foreground only ideals and justifications, but produce no tangible results, end up being ignored by the people."

On this day, the National Assembly, led by the Democratic Party of Korea, passed an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act focused on abolishing the prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights.

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