End of Seven-Month Leadership Vacancy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety
Minister Yoon Visits Disaster Response Headquarters Immediately After Taking Office
Official Launch of Recovery System... Inspects Damage Sites in Person
Pushing for Establishment of Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and Abolition of Police Bureau
Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, has officially begun his duties after a seven-month vacancy in the ministry's leadership. Immediately after taking office, Minister Yoon visited the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters and ordered the full mobilization of emergency restoration and support systems for flood damage. He also plans to accelerate efforts toward prosecution reform in the near future.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Minister Yoon, who was appointed on July 19, first visited the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. On the morning of July 20, immediately after his appointment, he presided over a meeting at the headquarters, officially activating the recovery system, and then visited flood-damaged sites in Yesan and Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province.
At the headquarters, he stated, "Protecting the lives and safety of the people is the state's top responsibility, and I will fulfill my given role with this conviction." He also indicated plans to recommend to the President that areas with severe damage be declared special disaster zones.
He also announced the launch of an inter-ministerial support headquarters for recovery measures, centered on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Minister Yoon urged, "We will push for a seamless transition from response to recovery," and called on relevant ministries and local governments in affected areas to fully mobilize available resources for swift emergency restoration.
Once the nationwide damage caused by the unprecedented torrential rains is addressed, the ministry is expected to accelerate its pursuit of mid- to long-term tasks. A key example is the establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (Jungsucheong) under the ministry as part of prosecution reform. The Democratic Party has previously proposed a bill to abolish the Prosecutors' Office, transferring investigative authority to the newly established agency under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and prosecutorial authority to the Prosecution Service under the Ministry of Justice.
Accordingly, the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency will be granted authority over eight major crimes: the six crimes previously investigated directly by the prosecution (corruption, economic, public officials, election, defense procurement, and major disasters), plus crimes of insurrection, foreign aggression, and drug offenses. In contrast, indictment, maintenance of prosecution, and warrant requests will be handled exclusively by the Prosecution Service. During his recent confirmation hearing, Minister Yoon stated, "When the Prosecutors' Office Act was first amended, investigative authority for the six major crimes was left with the prosecution, which led to the unfortunate experience of 'prosecutorial dictatorship' for our people. Although we attempted a second amendment, investigative authority for two crimes still remained with the prosecution."
The abolition of the Police Bureau is also expected to be pursued in earnest. This was a campaign pledge by President Lee Jaemyung, and the organization was newly established under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety by the Yoon Sukyeol administration in August 2022. Concerns were raised that the ministry's direct command and supervision of the police, including the minister's authority over senior police appointments, could undermine police independence. Minister Yoon has also stated that he will "push for the abolition swiftly."
In addition, improvements are expected regarding the local allocation tax rate and the ratio of national to local taxes. Minister Yoon has proposed raising the current local allocation tax rate from 19.24% to 22-23%, and has pledged "substantial fiscal decentralization for robust local government operations" regarding the current 8:2 ratio of national to local taxes.
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