Ministry of Justice and Supreme Prosecutors' Office Joint Inspection... Park Beom-gye "Carefully Preparing Measures"

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The joint inspection by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to improve the prosecution's direct investigation methods and organizational culture is gaining momentum.

According to the legal community on the 21st, Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye received the first interim report on the joint inspection from the Ministry of Justice Inspection Office on the 20th.

The Inspection Office has been holding joint meetings with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office every two weeks since the 29th of last month. The third meeting is scheduled for the 27th.

The Inspection Office reportedly prepared detailed improvement measures in various areas including ▲crime intelligence acquisition ▲internal investigation ▲case registration ▲public relations and disclosure of suspect information, and reported them to Minister Park. While agreeing with the intent and direction of the detailed plans prepared by the Inspection Office, Minister Park reportedly urged, "Since radical reforms could shrink the prosecution's investigative functions and the state's investigative authority itself, please prepare future-oriented measures carefully."

Meanwhile, this joint inspection began following the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's decision to dismiss charges regarding the alleged witness tampering in the case of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook. The meeting of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office chiefs and high prosecutors concluded that no evidence of witness tampering was found, and Minister Park accepted this conclusion but instructed the inspection to verify whether so-called 'procedural justice' was upheld.

The joint inspection is expected to continue for about two months and is likely to conclude by the end of next month or early June.