Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice said on the 24th, "Regarding the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act and the establishment of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Office, over the past several months I have thought a lot about whether we should not have in place perfectly a system of institutional safeguards so that the public does not feel anxious and crime victims can voice their grievances," adding, "In the course of that deliberation, I developed a sleep disorder and hit an unbearable limit, so I tendered my resignation."
Minister Jung said this as Minister while leaving work for the last time at the Ministry of Justice in the Government Complex Gwacheon after President Lee Jae-myung accepted his resignation that day.
Minister Jung said, "There were parts that were lacking in the process of amending the Criminal Procedure Act." He then said he would discuss with the party the basis provisions for the joint investigation headquarters, issues to enable special judicial police officers (special investigators), who no longer come under prosecutors' command authority, to operate properly, and the role of the Public Prosecution Office.
When asked about his reflections on serving a little over a year as minister of the Ministry of Justice, Minister Jung said, "The Ministry of Justice's work is not only about the prosecution. There are important duties such as crime prevention, corrections, immigration and foreigner management, and international litigation, yet they have been far too neglected in terms of budget and organization," adding, "I did my best to normalize those areas, but I feel regret leaving without accomplishing everything."
On concerns about a work vacuum ahead of the launch of the Public Prosecution Office after the abolition of the Prosecution Service in Oct., he said, "The investigation targets of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency overlap with the National Office of Investigation (NOI) or the police, so we can build it up step by step," adding, "The work of the Public Prosecution Office cannot be suspended. The functions of indictment and maintaining prosecutions must not be weakened."
He continued, "Some say that because the prosecution's direct investigative function is being transferred (to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, etc.), prosecutors or investigators should be drastically reduced," adding, "That is talk made in complete ignorance. Because the prosecution does not have the power to order supplementary investigations, a large number of additional prosecutors are needed to prevent prosecutions from becoming shoddy."
Regarding the simultaneous vacancy of the heads of the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution, Minister Jung said, "I think there will be no major problem because the Ministry of Justice has very renowned staff," adding, "The incoming minister will have to make policy decisions, and I hope they will identify various problems and play a role in allowing the Ministry of Justice to be reborn as a trusted organization."
On the controversy over recommending a Supreme Court justice, Minister Jung said, "The president is the head of the executive branch directly elected by the people and the appointing authority for Supreme Court justices," adding, "From the standpoint of respecting the president's appointing authority, I hope the Supreme Court will think a bit more about how to resolve this matter."