Handonghun "Minjeong Chief who did not take questions... Ministry of Justice 'Personnel Verification', a meaningful progress"

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is attending an extraordinary Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. At the meeting, the second supplementary budget plan worth 6.2 trillion won will be reviewed and approved. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon described the transfer of the public official personnel screening function from the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs to the Ministry of Justice as a "meaningful advancement."

On the morning of the 30th at 11 a.m., Minister Han made this remark to reporters in front of the Supreme Court before visiting Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su.

The Yoon Seok-yeol administration plans to hold a Cabinet meeting on the 31st to abolish the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, which has been responsible for screening public officials, and transfer that function to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice's 'Personnel Information Management Division,' which will carry out this task, is expected to officially begin operations as early as the 7th of next month.

On this day, Minister Han responded to concerns that the scope of screening by the Ministry of Justice would include judicial candidates, saying, "The personnel screening task is not a newly created function. It is an existing task, and neither the scope nor the subjects have been newly expanded. All activities are conducted within the bounds of the Constitution and laws as routine work."

He retorted, "Have reporters ever asked the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs or the Public Official Secretary, who were responsible for personnel screening, about this task?" and added, "Now, that is possible. I think this is a meaningful advancement." He further explained that "the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs did not even appear before the National Assembly," and that going forward, personnel screening will be subject to questions from the National Assembly and the media, as well as audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection.

He also evaluated, "I believe the personnel screening area is meaningfully advancing from a secretive task closely tied to political power in the past to a routine task monitored by 'Neul-gong' (career public officials)."

Regarding concerns that current and former prosecutors might be involved in the Personnel Information Management Division, he said, "It hasn't even started yet," and added, "Although I am not the appointing authority, I will appoint career public officials responsible for personnel and screening tasks as heads." He continued, "There are not many people in our country who can conduct screening," and added, "We will not bring in new people but will systematically include this in routine work and proceed accordingly."

On measures to guarantee neutrality and independence, he emphasized, "It is up to the investigators to uphold this," and said, "I have nothing particular to say about the Special Inspector General. South Korea's investigative agencies have sufficiently independent systems, and ultimately, it is a matter of will."

Regarding appointments of the Prosecutor General and mid-level prosecutors, he was reserved, saying, "They will proceed according to normal procedures," and "I have nothing to say at this time."

When asked about the blueprint for establishing an 'Immigration Agency' as an external agency of the Ministry of Justice, he replied, "I focused on the agency itself called the Immigration Agency," and added, "Immigration and entry-exit policies must be systematically prepared and implemented as national priorities."