Legal and Prosecution Reform Committee, "Change Male-Centered Prosecution Culture"

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Ministry of Justice and Prosecution Reform Committee has recommended creating concrete action plans to realize gender-equal personnel appointments within the prosecution. It pointed out the male-centered organizational culture of the prosecution as a cause of human rights violations such as sexual harassment and sexual violence within the organization.

On the 21st, the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecution Reform Committee held its 24th meeting and adopted the "Plan for Realizing Gender-Equal Personnel Appointments and Work-Life Balance in the Prosecution," which includes these contents.

First, the Reform Committee recommended establishing a "Basic Plan for Gender-Equal Prosecutor Personnel Appointments" to enhance female representation. It set the proportion of female senior and mid-level managers within the prosecution. Currently, the overall proportion of female prosecutors in the prosecution is 32%. According to the "Plan to Enhance Female Representation in the Public Sector" created by the Gender Equality Committee, the target for female public officials in managerial positions is 10% for senior managers and 21% for mid-level managers by 2022.

The committee also recommended introducing a gender-equality perspective in the verification of prosecutor appointment procedures. The Reform Committee pointed out, "Since 2015, the proportion of newly appointed female prosecutors has decreased, and almost no female prosecutors have been appointed through the experienced prosecutor appointment process." According to the committee, the proportion of female prosecutors among new appointees in 2011 reached nearly half (49.1%), but it declined after 2015 and dropped to 22.9% last year.

Additionally, the committee proposed a recommendation to establish a work system for work-life balance, so-called "Work-Life Balance (WLB)." The Reform Committee recommended analyzing the appropriate workload for prosecutors and establishing a work system that ensures an appropriate workload by assigning scores per case, evaluating based on the number of cases handled monthly, and reducing unnecessary tasks. It also recommended promptly establishing a "Maternity/Paternity Rights Guaranteed Settling Work System" that allows prosecutors who have childcare responsibilities to coexist within the organization without infringing on maternity or paternity rights, enabling them to settle in a certain place and balance work and caregiving roles.

Specifically, the committee suggested creating a work environment balanced between work and life for female prosecutors. The Reform Committee emphasized, "Prosecutors should move away from merely rushing to handle cases under a control system based on formal indicators such as excessive workload and the number of unresolved cases at the end of the month."

A committee official stated, "By establishing a gender-equal personnel system and a work environment balanced between work and life in the prosecution, the prosecution will transform into a horizontal and flexible organization where diverse members coexist," adding, "The prosecution will be reborn as an organization that breathes with the people and gains their trust in line with the times."