Regarding the passage in the National Assembly of an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that abolishes prosecutors' direct investigations and their authority to request supplementary investigations, Hong Seok-gi, head of the National Office of Investigation (NOI) at the Korean National Police Agency, said he feels "a heavy sense of responsibility."
At a regular press briefing on the 3rd, Deputy Minister Hong said, "We have reached a major turning point in the criminal justice system," and stated accordingly.
Deputy Minister Hong said, "We will work closely with related ministries and ensure that subordinate laws, rules, and guidelines are swiftly overhauled," adding, "Internally, we will take steps to prepare without delay on issues such as personnel, budget, and equipment."
Regarding prosecutors' "requests for supplementary investigations," Deputy Minister Hong said, "During the course of an investigation, we can ask prosecutors for legal judgments and advice, and prosecutors are now obligated to respond," adding, "If we do so, requests for supplementary investigations will be greatly reduced compared with now."
He went on, "Even if there is a request for a supplementary investigation, when sending the case back within one month, only the content of the supplementary investigation is to be sent to the prosecution. In the Criminal Procedure Act amended this time, it additionally requires sending all newly investigated content and related materials to the prosecutor," adding, "If we do this, I believe we can enhance the completeness of investigations so the public does not suffer harm."
On concerns that requests for supplementary investigations could surge, Deputy Minister Hong said, "Going forward, we will consult sufficiently with prosecutors right before transfer and then transfer." He added, "If we go through this process, from the prosecution's standpoint as the party responsible for filing and maintaining indictments, it will feel a responsibility to lead three or four investigative agencies well so the court reaches proper verdicts on guilt or innocence."
Deputy Minister Hong also said that regarding concerns about a so-called "monster police," the procedure allowing a prosecutor, if it is deemed difficult to expect appropriate police investigations, to designate another investigative body—such as a higher investigative office or the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency—to request a supplementary investigation or a reinvestigation could address those worries.
He said, "This is the most powerful control measure, and the police also think it is necessary," adding, "With the revisions to the Public Prosecution Office Act, the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Act, and the Criminal Procedure Act, I believe the criticism that the police's investigative authority has become bloated has been resolved. Checks and balances have been strengthened."
Deputy Minister Hong explained that, to bolster investigative personnel, 1,900 people have initially been assigned to investigation teams, with efforts underway to secure as many additional staff as possible. On the appropriate number of cases per investigative officer, he said, "To ensure safe public security, we are discussing how many police officers per 100,000 people is appropriate, and we are also discussing foreign examples," adding, "We are in the process of reviewing whether to deploy investigators in the field or whether having mid-level reviewers would be more efficient."