Chanun Park, Advisory Committee Chair: "Prosecution Office and Serious Crimes Investigation Office Acts First... Will Proceed as Quickly as Possible"

First Press Briefing Held After Chairman Park Takes Office
Discussion on Criminal Procedure Act to Follow Organizational Bills
"We Will Formulate Opinions Based on the Public Interest"

Chanun Park, Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Prosecution Reform Promotion Group, stated on the 30th, "We will first discuss the issues related to the Prosecution Office Act and the Serious Crimes Investigation Office Act, and then move on to the issues concerning the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act." As both institutions are scheduled to open in October next year, he added, "The organizational bills must be passed by the first half of next year at the latest to meet the timeline," signaling that discussions will proceed at a swift pace.

Chanun Park, Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Prosecution Reform Promotion Group. The Asia Business Daily DB

Chairman Park shared his overall plans for the operation of the advisory committee and his thoughts on taking office during a press briefing with reporters at the Prime Minister's Office annex in Changseong-dong, Seoul, on this day. Park, a professor at Hanyang University Law School, has long advocated for the necessity of prosecution reform and was appointed as chairman of the advisory committee on the 24th.

The advisory committee held its first meeting yesterday and decided to prioritize discussions on the organizational bills for the Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Office, both set to launch on October 2 next year. Park remarked, "I've roughly organized the topics we need to discuss, and it seems there will be about 15 to 20 subjects in total," adding, "It is an extremely urgent matter that requires prompt discussion." He continued, "We aim to reach conclusions as quickly as possible and then present the committee's opinions to the Promotion Group."

Regarding the timing of delivering the advisory committee's opinions to the Promotion Group, Park explained, "We have not set a timeline yet." However, since the organizational bills for the Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Office must pass the National Assembly by the first half of next year, he anticipated that results should be produced before then. As for the Criminal Procedure Act, he noted, "There is more leeway in terms of timing compared to the Serious Crimes Investigation Office Act or the Prosecution Office Act."

When asked how much influence the advisory committee's opinions would have on the Promotion Group's decisions, Park said, "I don't know," but added, "If the advisory committee is not just a figurehead, it should have a considerable impact." In particular, for issues where the committee members are in agreement, he stated, "The Promotion Group will likely reflect those opinions when drafting the bills." He also anticipated, "In cases where opinions are divided, the Promotion Group will refer to the committee's views when formulating the final government proposal."

Regarding the background of appointing 15 advisory committee members, Park explained, "We selected individuals who basically support prosecution reform but can also reflect a variety of opinions regarding the methods and content." He emphasized, "Even if committee members have differing positions on certain issues, the chairman holds only one out of N shares." For issues where opinions are divided, he said, "We will organize each member's opinion and present them to the Promotion Group."

On the hot topic of supplementary investigations, Park stated, "This is a subject for future discussion, and there can be no disagreement about that." He added, "When discussions take place in the future, there will be opportunities to brief the media in an appropriate manner and explain the situation."

The advisory committee plans to hold weekly meetings going forward. According to Chairman Park, "We may hold more frequent meetings if necessary." He said, "Depending on the need, the meeting schedule can be made tighter, and the number of meetings may increase." He also indicated that, depending on the topic, "If there is a need to hear from people on the ground or to hold seminars, we will do so," signaling openness to gathering external opinions as well.

Chairman Park also expressed the weight of responsibility he feels upon taking office, stating, "The burden on my shoulders is truly heavy." He emphasized, "Having lived as a legal professional for over 40 years, prosecution reform has always been a matter of great interest." He continued, "I will lead the advisory committee smoothly with sincerity and expertise, and strive to produce a desirable prosecution reform plan." He added, "We will ensure that the best opinions are produced with the interests of the people as our standard."