Ministry of Justice Launches Task Force to Address 'Geomsu Wanbak'... Concurrently Revising Subordinate Laws and Regulations

Formation of Task Force for Legal System Improvement and Constitutional Issue Research

Ministry of Justice, Government Gwacheon Complex. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The Ministry of Justice has launched a task force (TF) to prepare for the implementation of the amended Prosecutors' Office Act and Criminal Procedure Act, known as the 'Geomsu Wanbak (Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Authority)' bills. The effective date of the amended laws is September 10.

On the 26th, the Ministry of Justice stated, "With the passage of the amended Prosecutors' Office Act and Criminal Procedure Act on May 9, it is necessary to take follow-up measures such as the prompt establishment and revision of subordinate statutes and responding to discussions in the National Assembly's Special Committee on Criminal Investigation Reform to minimize potential harm to the public and prevent confusion in the criminal justice system." They added, "Starting today, the Ministry of Justice will operate the 'Legal System Improvement TF' and the 'Constitutional Issues Research TF' respectively, and will carry out tasks in cooperation with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office."

According to the Ministry of Justice, the Legal System Improvement TF will be responsible for ▲reorganizing subordinate statutes ▲preparing internal guidelines and regulations ▲responding to discussions in the National Assembly's Special Committee on Criminal Investigation Reform ▲promoting internal system improvements. The team leader appointed is Yoon Won-gi, Chief of the Criminal Division 2 at Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office (age 43, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 34), who has experience working on secondment at the Ministry of Justice's Criminal Legislation Division from 2013 to 2014.

The Constitutional Issues Research TF will review constitutional issues related to the amended laws. The team leader is Kim Seok-woo, a former judge and currently a prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (age 50, class 27), who was a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute for International Criminal Law in Germany in 2005 and worked on secondment at the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutorial System Improvement TF from 2009 to 2010.

Prosecutor Kim was responsible for theoretical and practical work in the Ministry of Justice's Unconstitutional Political Parties and Organizations Countermeasures TF, which led to the dissolution of the Unified Progressive Party in 2014.

The Ministry of Justice stated, "We will promptly proceed with the establishment and revision procedures of subordinate statutes and internal regulations aiming for the implementation date of September 10 when the amended laws take effect, while continuously advancing tasks such as reviewing constitutional issues and responding to the Special Committee on Criminal Investigation Reform."