14 Individuals Awarded Medals and Commendations for Contributions to the Establishment of the Rule of Law
The Ministry of Justice and the Korean Bar Association held the ‘61st Law Day Ceremony’ on the 25th and awarded 14 individuals for their contributions to the establishment of the rule of law, protection of human rights, and realization of social justice.
Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae is delivering a commemorative speech at the 61st Law Day event held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 25th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
At the ceremony held in the annex of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, in the morning, lawyer Imseong Lee (62, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 21) received the Order of Civil Merit, Mugunghwa Medal. Lawyer Lee was recognized for his contributions to protecting socially vulnerable groups and advancing the rule of law through his activities as a Ministry of Justice village lawyer, crime prevention commissioner, and president of the National Local Bar Association.
Seungwook Hong, Chief Prosecutor of Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office (51, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 28), received the Order of Service Merit, Hwangjo Medal, in recognition of his efforts to protect citizens' fundamental rights through various legal reforms to improve public convenience, such as establishing a housing lease dispute mediation system, and strict investigations into crimes infringing on people's livelihoods, including the Jeonse fraud case in Dongtan, Hwaseong.
Correction commissioner Junhee Park, who contributed to the development of correctional administration and the rehabilitation of inmates at five correctional institutions in the Busan area with a strong spirit of service, received the Order of Civil Merit, Dongbaek Medal. Prosecutor Jongheon Kang (59, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 29), who made significant contributions to human rights protection and the establishment of law and order through ex officio retrial petitions for victims of the Jeju 4.3 Incident and the crackdown on organized crime gangs, received the Order of Service Merit, Hongjo Medal.
In addition, nine others, including Jaegun Kim, Director of the Korea Legal Protection Welfare Corporation Legal Protection Education Center, and the Child Support Enforcement Agency were recognized for their contributions to protecting socially vulnerable groups and establishing the rule of law, receiving the National Medal, Presidential Citation, Prime Minister’s Citation, and others.
The event was attended by Chief Justice Heedae Cho of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Jongseok Lee of the Constitutional Court, Chairman Do-eup Kim of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Minister of Justice Seongjae Park, Prosecutor General Wonseok Lee, and Bar Association President Younghoon Kim.
In his congratulatory speech, Chief Justice Cho said, "The judiciary will realize the rule of law by ensuring that all judges conduct trials in accordance with the will and conscience of the entire people as embodied in the Constitution and laws, without any prejudice or bias, and in line with the public’s perspective and common sense."
Chief Justice Lee of the Constitutional Court emphasized, "Continuous efforts from all of us are necessary to ensure that the rule of law does not become merely rule by law or governance that puts law first. By paying attention to laws and systems and allowing diverse voices in our society to be freely expressed in public discourse, we must uphold a practical rule of law that is fair, just, and consistent with common sense."
Minister Park stated in his commemorative address, "The Ministry of Justice will do its best to ensure that the human rights of all citizens are substantially guaranteed on the foundation of establishing legal order. Since we carry out various tasks directly related to citizens’ lives, such as human rights, corrections, immigration, and prosecution, we will review whether various policies are effectively rooted in the field and seek better measures."
Bar Association President Kim said, "Lawyers, under Article 1 of the Attorney-at-Law Act, are entrusted with the mission of protecting the fundamental human rights of the people and realizing social justice, thus playing an important role in establishing a rule of law based on fairness and common sense. The Bar Association will continue to do its best to establish the rule of law for the people, as it has done so far."
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