Prosecution and Police Hold 'Investigation Agency Countermeasure Council' in Preparation for 2022 Presidential and Local Elections

‘Investigation Practice Council’ to be Held Bimonthly
Three Major Focus Areas for Crackdown: Bribery, False Information Dissemination, Illegal Election Interference
Establishment of Investigation Cooperation System Including Hotline for Dedicated Election Investigation Units of Police and Prosecutors

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] In preparation for the presidential and local elections to be held next year, the prosecution and police held an investigative agency countermeasure meeting on the 7th to discuss cooperation measures for investigating election crimes.

The prosecution and police agreed to regularize the election case investigation working-level meetings and establish a cooperative system among dedicated election investigation departments by region and office, aiming to cooperate for swift and strict investigations of election offenders.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the National Police Agency held the investigative agency countermeasure meeting from 10:30 a.m. at the 9th-floor conference room of the Government Seoul Office Building. The meeting was chaired by Lee Jeong-hyun, head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and Park Seong-ju, director of the Investigation Bureau at the National Police Agency. Cha Beom-jun, head of the Election Investigation Support Division from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and Son Je-han, head of the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Division from the National Police Agency, also attended.

In 2022, the 20th presidential election is scheduled for March 9 (D-92), and the 8th nationwide simultaneous local elections for June 1 (D-176). It is the first time in 20 years since 2002 that both the presidential and local elections are held in the same year.

Moreover, this election is the first nationwide election held after the implementation of the prosecution and police investigative authority adjustment bill earlier this year, which brought significant changes to the criminal justice system.

At the meeting, the prosecution and police designated three major focus areas for crackdown: ▲ bribery, ▲ dissemination of false information and other public opinion manipulation, and ▲ illegal involvement by public officials and organizations, committing to intensive crackdowns and strict enforcement.

To this end, the prosecution and police agreed to regularize the election case investigation working-level meetings to be held every two months. Through this, they plan to promptly respond to issues requiring cooperation in the changed investigative environment by discussing concrete problems arising in frontline investigations.

Additionally, considering the special nature of election cases subject to a short statute of limitations of "six months from the election day," the prosecution and police decided to actively utilize the "important case cooperation procedure" stipulated in Article 7 of the "Regulations on Mutual Cooperation between Prosecutors and Judicial Police Officers and General Investigation Guidelines" to enhance the speed and efficiency of investigations.

Article 7 of the guidelines (Important Case Cooperation Procedure) states that "Prosecutors and judicial police officers may request mutual presentation and exchange of opinions regarding investigative matters, evidence collection targets, and application of laws before case transfer in important cases where the statute of limitations is imminent or involving internal rebellion, foreign exchange, elections, terrorism, major disasters, serial murders, crimes related to members of the United States Forces Korea, foreign military personnel and their families or invited contractors, or other cases causing many victims or significant national or social damage."

Earlier, since April, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency have piloted "mutual cooperation measures," including opinion exchanges and hotline establishment, related to investigations of by-elections and re-elections. Reflecting the positive evaluations of these "mutual cooperation measures" by both agencies, the prosecution and police decided to expand them nationwide.

Finally, the prosecution and police agreed to establish a cooperative system among dedicated election investigation departments installed in prosecution offices and police stations nationwide.

The police have already been operating dedicated election investigation teams at each police station since the 9th of last month, 120 days before the presidential election, and the prosecution plans to activate dedicated election investigation teams at each prosecution office and branch office from the 9th, 90 days before the presidential election.

The prosecution and police will establish hotlines between these dedicated election investigation teams installed at each prosecution office and police station to form a cooperative investigative system with rapid communication.

The cooperative investigative system will be organized around designated responsible persons by 14 regional divisions (14 provincial prosecutors' offices and 18 metropolitan and provincial police agencies) and by each level of office.

In particular, by region, the prosecution and police will consult on whether to investigate the same case and decisions on case transfers due to overlapping investigations, while by office, they will exchange opinions on investigation directions, legal reviews, prosecution filing, and prosecution maintenance related to specific cases.

The prosecution and police stated, "We will respond swiftly and strictly to election crimes to ensure that the two major elections scheduled for 2022 proceed fairly."