Ministry of Justice to Hold Nationwide Prosecutors' Meeting on the 21st to Hear Opinions on 'Separation of Investigation and Prosecution'... Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General, to Be Absent

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae recently announced that she is reviewing the separation of investigation and prosecution authorities within the prosecution and has decided to hold a meeting by gathering chief prosecutors nationwide to hear their opinions.

According to the legal community on the 13th, the Ministry of Justice recently sent official letters to senior prosecutors at the district prosecutor level and some senior officials at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, informing them of a nationwide chief prosecutors' meeting scheduled for the 21st and inquiring about their attendance. Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is reported to have notified that he will not attend this meeting.

It is unusual for a chief prosecutors' meeting to be presided over by the Minister of Justice, and this is the first time such a meeting is held without the Prosecutor General. Although Prosecutor General Yoon has not officially stated his position on the separation of investigation and prosecution, his absence from the meeting is interpreted by some as effectively expressing opposition to the separation plan.

At a press briefing on the 11th, Minister Chu proposed the "separation of investigation and prosecution authorities" as one of the measures to decentralize the powers concentrated in the prosecution. She said, "While strengthening various internal and external verifications of cases initiated by prosecutors, we will also consider institutional improvements to differentiate the entities responsible for investigation and prosecution decisions within the prosecution."

The purpose is to prevent excessive prosecution by having a prosecutor other than the investigating prosecutor assess the validity of prosecution before prosecuting cases directly investigated by the prosecution.

The day after the briefing, Minister Chu reportedly called Prosecutor General Yoon to explain the intent behind the "separation of investigation and prosecution authorities" remarks and sought cooperation from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.