[In-depth Look at Complete Prosecution Reform ④] Police Increasing 'Law Firm Love Calls'? ...The Words from the Field Were Different

Adjustment of Police and Prosecutor Investigation Authority Issue
"Last Year, Large-Scale Recruitment of Police-Origin Talents"
Interest in Public Officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] "Police? We've already hired many. Now the target is the Ministry of Employment and Labor."

This is what is being said in the law firm industry ahead of the implementation of the so-called 'Prosecutorial Investigation Authority Reform' law. From the law firms' perspective, while recruiting former police officers is important, considering the number of cases handled and revenue, the Serious Accidents Punishment Act is more attractive. Major domestic law firms such as Kim & Chang and HwaWoo are accelerating the recruitment of former prosecutors and Ministry of Employment and Labor officials. Former Director Ko Jae-cheol of the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency and former Director Kwon Young-soon of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's Labor Policy Office have also moved to law firms.

Lee Myung-soo, Managing Attorney at Law at HwaWoo, said, "Regarding the issue of adjustment of investigative authority between prosecutors and police, recruitment has been underway since last year, and we are somewhat prepared." He added, "We plan to continue recruiting talent to prepare for this." Regarding serious accidents, he said, "We are actively recruiting key personnel from the Ministry of Employment and Labor and industrial field experts."

Another official from a major law firm said, "Since law firms fundamentally pursue profit, they are more likely to focus on handling large and complex cases rather than simply a high number of cases." He added, "There was active recruitment of police officers last year, but we also need to look at how many cases they could actually achieve results in. If there were not many opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities, additional recruitment might even decrease."

Since the implementation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, fatal accidents have occurred consecutively at industrial, construction, and work sites, raising interest in criminal punishment. Responding to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act has become important not only for companies involved in accident sites but also for those not directly related. Accordingly, recruitment of former police officers and Ministry of Employment and Labor officials with direct investigative authority is active. Because serious accidents often involve 'corporate-type cases,' they are more challenging to handle than general criminal cases, which is another reason for the focus. HwaWoo, which has taken on cases involving construction and cement companies, plans to file a constitutional complaint depending on future trial outcomes. Currently, most serious accident cases remain at the police investigation or prosecution referral stage, and they intend to respond actively if precedents of prosecution by the prosecution emerge.

Within the police, expectations are growing regarding the preference for 'former police officers.' Police officers with backgrounds such as 'investigation experts,' 'graduates of the Korean National Police University,' and experience working at police stations in Gangnam and other metropolitan areas are expected to be welcomed by companies and law firms.

A police officer from a frontline station in Seoul said, "In the past, police officers from intelligence units with many connections were hired, but now, police officers from the investigative side who can look into cases from the early investigation stage are expected to become more popular." He added, "There is hope that the phenomenon of former prosecutors or judges moving to law firms before the Prosecutorial Investigation Authority Reform might also appear among some police officers." According to the 'Status of Police Officers' Reemployment at Law Firms' submitted by the National Police Agency to Rep. Lee Myung-soo of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, there have been 48 cases reviewed, which is 9.6 times more than in 2020 (5 cases).