Choo Mi-ae: "Excluding the Majority of the People by a Minority Is Also Undemocratic"... Supports Amendment to the Corruption Investigation Office Act

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is attending the full meeting of the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee on the 21st, organizing documents. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae expressed support for the amendment to the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office Act (the Corruption Investigation Office Act), stating that "it is undemocratic for a minority to exclude the majority of the people."

On the 21st, during the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee session, Minister Choo responded to a question from Shin Dong-geun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "Delaying or sabotaging this by the opposition party not recommending candidate selection committee members goes against the principle of representative democracy."

Regarding the investigation related to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's mother-in-law, she said, "The distrust toward the prosecution is something the prosecution itself has brought upon," adding, "Economic justice and judicial justice must be restored through an unreserved investigation."

Minister Choo added, "The members of the prosecution deeply feel this," and said, "With the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office, trust can be restored through 'unreserved investigations' instead of power-watching and protecting one's own members, and the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office is the answer to the public's demand for reform."

Regarding the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution, she said, "I want to separate investigation and prosecution quickly," but added, "However, to do so, the total investigative capacity must be maintained."

She stated, "There are many crimes, and if both sides neglect them while opposing and conflicting over jurisdiction, judicial justice cannot be realized," and emphasized, "Separating investigation and prosecution is to discover substantive justice, so discussions should proceed swiftly to establish such conditions."

She also said, "The investigation guidelines are actually instructions to overcome the conflict and confrontation between the police and prosecution, to resolve issues, and to conduct investigations cooperatively," adding, "We can try actual operation and fix problems if they arise."