COVID-19 Puts Prosecution and Courts on Alert: "Minimize Summons Investigations and Control Access" (Comprehensive Report 2)

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyung-min and Song Seung-yoon] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) sweeps across the country, it has been confirmed that there are confirmed cases within the prosecution as well.

According to the prosecution on the 23rd, one investigator belonging to the Daegu Western District Prosecutors' Office's administrative bureau tested positive for COVID-19 on that day. It is also known that the investigator's mother was confirmed positive on the 21st.

Fortunately, it has been identified that this investigator had no contact with civil petitioners at the Daegu Western District Prosecutors' Office so far. This is because the Daegu Western District Prosecutors' Office placed the investigator under self-quarantine immediately after receiving a report on the 20th that the investigator's mother was undergoing a COVID-19 test.

The Daegu Western District Prosecutors' Office closed all offices where the employee worked and placed all staff who had contact with the investigator under self-quarantine. The office stated, "We will promptly take necessary measures according to the epidemiological investigation results from health authorities."

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office explained, "We took swift action according to the response manual," and added, "We will continue efforts at each office to block infections and ensure that the prosecution's law enforcement system and capabilities are not paralyzed."

Earlier, on the morning of the 21st, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office held an expanded executive meeting to review the prosecution's response to COVID-19 and to set future action plans.

Immediately after the meeting, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office formed and activated a 'COVID-19 Response Task Force (TF)' team. Lee Jung-soo, Director of the Planning and Coordination Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, was appointed as the team leader. Additionally, response teams were formed at 18 local prosecutors' offices. In particular, Daegu, where the COVID-19 spread most rapidly, formed a response team the day before the meeting and took preemptive measures such as distributing masks and personal hygiene supplies.

Furthermore, the prosecution will minimize summons investigations that require suspects and witnesses to come to the prosecution office for questioning. This is intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 caused by unnecessary movement of case-related persons. The same applies to suspects physically detained in detention facilities. Also, prosecution-related events are being refrained from, and programs such as prosecution office tours are postponed.

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl decided to suspend visits to local prosecutors' offices for the time being. He had visited Busan High Prosecutors' Office and District Prosecutors' Office on the 13th, and Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office and District Prosecutors' Office on the 20th, and was considering visiting Daegu High Prosecutors' Office and District Prosecutors' Office on the 27th. However, due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 recently, and considering the difficulty of holding gatherings such as meetings, internal inspections, and dinners where many staff gather, the local visits have been temporarily suspended. Remaining schedules will be decided after March based on the COVID-19 situation.

Prosecutor General Yoon urged frontline prosecutors, "Strictly comply with government policies for COVID-19 prevention and ensure that there is no gap in the enforcement of criminal law, a core national function, by making thorough responses."

The courts are also not letting their guard down. The Daegu Court has effectively entered a two-week recess period. The Seoul Seocho-dong Court Complex, which houses the Seoul High Court and Seoul Central District Court, has decided to increase access control starting next week.

The Daegu Court recommended each trial division to postpone or reschedule hearings for all cases except those related to detention, provisional injunctions, or suspension of execution, which are deemed inappropriate to delay, from the 24th until the 6th of next month, a two-week period. The Daegu Court has closed 9 out of 14 entrances and installed thermal imaging cameras at all open entrances. Also, although wearing masks or hats inside courtrooms was usually prohibited, since the 20th, wearing masks inside courtrooms has become the rule.

The Seoul High Court and Seoul Central District Court also decided to raise their response level starting on the 24th, following the government's upgrade of the COVID-19 crisis alert to the highest level, "Severe." The main building of the Seocho-dong Court Complex will open only some entrances, and the annex will close all doors except the main entrance. Non-contact thermometers will be used to measure the temperature of all entrants at the entrances. Entry will be restricted if a fever is detected. Even parties involved in trials will be sent home after notifying the relevant trial division. All staff inside the complex will wear masks, and the use of the cafeteria by external visitors such as petitioners will be restricted.

The Seoul Administrative Court building in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, is also measuring the temperature of case-related persons at the entrance security checkpoint. The Seoul Western District Court will restrict petitioners' access to the cafeteria starting on the 24th.

Meanwhile, all suspected COVID-19 cases reported so far in courts nationwide have tested negative. At the court administration office's level 9 public recruitment exam held the previous day, one examinee in the Seoul High Court's preliminary exam room was moved to a health center due to fever but was ultimately confirmed negative.