Military Court Established Under Direct Jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Military Court has been launched directly under the Minister of National Defense. The establishment of the Ministry of National Defense Military Court is in accordance with the amended Military Court Act, which takes effect from this day.

On the 1st, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it held the inauguration ceremony of the Ministry of National Defense Military Court, presided over by Minister Lee Jong-seop. About 60 people attended the inauguration ceremony of the Ministry of National Defense Military Court, including Jeon Ju-hye, a member of the People Power Party, Min Hong-chul, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Kwang-tae, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, the Ministry of National Defense Legal Affairs Officer, and former Chief Judges of the High Military Court.

The Military Court Act was amended last year to restore public trust in the military judicial system, protect the human rights of soldiers, and realize military judicial justice. The response and investigation of the sexual violence case involving the late Air Force Sergeant Lee Ye-ram also served as an impetus for the amendment of the Military Court Act.

According to the new Military Court Act, the 30 ordinary military courts previously established under the Ministry of National Defense and each military branch have been integrated into five regional military courts directly under the Minister of National Defense.

In the regional military courts, the military is responsible only for the first trial. Appeals (second trials) have been transferred to civilian courts. In addition, the jurisdictional officer and adjudicator system, which gave commanders discretionary power in peacetime, has been abolished. Sexual violence crimes, crimes resulting in death or causing death, and crimes committed before enlistment are investigated and tried by civilian judicial institutions.

Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop said in his congratulatory speech, "The military court, with guaranteed independence, must operate strict and fair trials so that the military judicial system can gain trust from soldiers," and added, "The Ministry of National Defense will actively support the military court to ensure the new military judicial system is established early."