New Inspection Division 3 Established in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office: "Strengthening Oversight of Senior Prosecutors' Misconduct"

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] A new Inspection Division 3 will be established under the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to strengthen the oversight of high-ranking prosecutors' misconduct.

According to the legal community on the 20th, the Ministry of Justice has announced a draft amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Prosecutor Staffing Act, reorganizing the system by reducing two positions from the existing Supreme Prosecutors' Office Research Officers and reallocating them as the head of Inspection Division 3 and the International Cooperation Officer. The Ministry of Justice plans to proceed with the procedures, including submission and approval at the Cabinet meeting, by the 5th of next month.

Currently, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has Inspection Divisions 1 and 2 under the Inspection Department, as well as a Special Inspection Team responsible for overseeing misconduct by prosecutors at the level of department head or higher. Once the amendment is implemented, the Inspection Department will be reorganized into Inspection Divisions 1, 2, and 3, and the Special Inspection Team will be changed from a temporary organization to a permanent one. Additionally, the head of international cooperation will be renamed from International Cooperation Team Leader to International Cooperation Officer to facilitate direct cooperation with overseas law enforcement agencies.

A Supreme Prosecutors' Office official stated, "This is to correct the issue of having more prosecutors than the authorized number due to the establishment of temporary organizations not included in the official system," adding, "It is about formalizing non-statutory organizations into statutory ones and does not involve reducing personnel."

Meanwhile, Minister Chu indicated his intention to strengthen inspections in the future by replacing all prosecutors responsible for inspection duties at the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office during the personnel reshuffle of high prosecutors (deputy chiefs and department heads) and ordinary prosecutors conducted on the 23rd of last month.