The government has finalized revised legislation to establish the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Agency, while launching a comprehensive review of key criminal procedure law issues including supplementary investigation authority.
The government announced on March 3 that it submitted and approved the bills establishing both agencies at a Cabinet meeting, and will begin examining related criminal procedure law issues. The administration plans to reach conclusions through intensive consultation and public deliberation over the next two months.
To minimize potential side effects from separating investigation and prosecution functions while maximizing protections for citizens, the government will seek input from diverse sectors of society.
The Prosecution Reform Task Force will conduct "intensive consultation" during March and April on criminal procedure law issues, including supplementary investigation authority. Through public forums, advisory committee meetings, and opinion surveys, the government will gather views from citizens, experts, and crime victims. Key areas of focus include whether exceptional cases require supplementary investigations and what institutional improvements are needed to make supplementary investigation requests function effectively.
As part of this consultation process, an advisory committee meeting on February 24 discussed "prosecution reform from crime victims' perspectives." Participants included attorney Kim Ye-won from the Disability Rights Law Center, attorney Kim Eun-jung from law firm Lium, and crime victims. A joint public forum with the Korean Bar Association is scheduled for March 11, followed by a comprehensive discussion hosted by the task force on March 16.