The Ministry of Justice stated on May 1 that, in response to the National Assembly’s decision to restore 50.7 billion won in special operational expenses for prosecutors, it would "fully support prosecutors in fulfilling their primary role of protecting public safety from crime, while also ensuring the utmost transparency in the execution of these funds."
On May 2, the Ministry of Justice issued a statement explaining, "During last year’s budget review in the National Assembly, we diligently submitted supporting documents in accordance with the intent of the Supreme Court’s ruling. However, the entire budget for prosecutorial special activity funds (8 billion won) and special operational expenses (50.69 billion won) was cut. As a result, prosecutors and investigators faced significant difficulties, including having to pay out-of-pocket expenses for investigations and enforcement activities."
The Ministry added, "Fortunately, with the passage of a supplementary budget bill in the National Assembly yesterday that restores the special operational expenses, a foundation has been established for prosecutors to respond more effectively to crimes that threaten public safety, such as drug offenses, voice phishing, and deepfake-related crimes."
The previous day, the National Assembly, through a bipartisan agreement, passed a supplementary budget totaling 1.38 trillion won, which included the restoration of 50.69 billion won in special operational expenses for prosecutors.
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