Roundtable Held at National Assembly on the 11th
"Confiscation of Criminal Proceeds from State Violence Crimes"
Park Kyuntaek, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a legislative forum on the introduction of an 'independent confiscation system' to recover criminal proceeds and slush funds from state violence crimes such as those committed by Jeon Duwhan and Roh Taewoo on the 11th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building Seminar Room 1. Provided by Park Kyuntaek's office
Park Kyuntaek, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Gwangsan-gap in Gwangju, held a roundtable discussion on the recovery of criminal proceeds and slush funds obtained through state violence crimes at Seminar Room 1 of the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 11th.
The roundtable was organized to reflect on the reality that illegal assets acquired through state violence by former military regime figures, including former presidents Chun Doohwan and Roh Taewoo, have not been properly recovered even decades later, and to seek institutional solutions to overcome this issue.
The central topic of the discussion was whether to introduce an 'independent confiscation system.' This system would allow for the confiscation of criminal proceeds through a separate procedure if they are confirmed to be the result of a crime, even without a conviction. Its significance lies in opening a path to recover illegal assets for society even when the statute of limitations has expired or the suspect has died. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and the international community recommend the adoption of such a system, and several countries have already implemented it.
On July 21, Park Kyuntaek proposed a bill to amend the Act on Regulation and Punishment of Concealment of Criminal Proceeds. The main points include adding a definition for 'anti-human rights state crimes' such as state violence crimes, and introducing the independent confiscation system.
Recently, Chun Doohwan's grandson Chun Woowon publicly exposed the existence of slush funds, and Roh Taewoo's daughter Roh Soyoung also revealed the existence of slush funds during her divorce proceedings. However, under current law, recovery measures cannot be taken due to reasons such as the death of the perpetrator or the expiration of the statute of limitations. Furthermore, if criminal proceeds are transferred to a third party through inheritance or donation, the state must prove that the third party was aware the assets were derived from crime in order to recover them.
At the roundtable, Park Kyuntaek stated, "President Lee Jaemyung also mentioned the need for thorough punishment of criminal proceeds obtained through anti-constitutional state violence crimes during his candidacy," and emphasized, "Minister of Justice Jung Sungho and National Tax Service Commissioner Lim Gwanghyun also expressed strong support for the introduction of the independent confiscation system during their confirmation hearings, so we must accelerate efforts to implement this system."
He added, "Since additional slush funds of Chun Doohwan and Roh Taewoo have been uncovered, we need to improve the system to enable their recovery," and pledged, "We will do our best to ensure the system is introduced as early as this year."
Meanwhile, the roundtable was chaired by Kim Jaehong, former president of Seoul Digital University. The keynote presentation was delivered by Park Jaepyeong, professor at the Chungbuk National University Law School. Panelists included Heo Yeonsik, a member of the Chun Doohwan and Roh Taewoo Military Junta Slush Fund Illicit Asset Recovery Committee at the May 18 Memorial Foundation; Kang Seongpil, deputy spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea; Kim Hyemi, legislative researcher at the National Assembly Research Service; and Jeon Seonghwan, prosecutor at the International Criminal Affairs Division of the Ministry of Justice.
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