Police agency forms TF to respond to revised criminal procedure law

TF to monitor compliance with supplementary investigation requests

Hong Seok-gi, chief of the Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters. [Yonhap]
Hong Seok-gi, chief of the Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters. [Yonhap]

Hong Seok-gi, chief of the Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters, said Monday that amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act abolishing prosecutors' authority to conduct supplementary investigations and file warrants independently have "created an environment where police can focus on investigations and prosecutors can focus on filing and maintaining charges."

Hong made the remarks at a press briefing at the Korean National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. "We respect the legislative decision made by the National Assembly, and police feel a profound sense of responsibility as we face a critical turning point in the criminal justice system," he said.

Hong said that before the revision, prosecutors had held direct investigative authority over major crimes and could either conduct supplementary investigations themselves or demand them for cases referred by police. "Through the amendment, prosecutors' authority has been concentrated on filing and maintaining charges, allowing them to focus solely on that function," he said.

"Prosecutors, too, will feel a sense of responsibility — not as a competing agency against police on certain cases, but as the body that must maintain charges and receive judgment from the court," Hong said. "Police will strive to meet that standard accordingly."

Addressing concerns that case processing could be delayed now that prosecutors can no longer directly supplement police investigations, Hong said police would "work with prosecutors from the moment of initial referral to improve the completeness of cases."

"Under the revised Criminal Procedure Act, police may request prosecutors' legal judgment and advice on cases during the investigation process, and prosecutors are obligated to respond," Hong said. "Through that process, we aim to maximize the completeness of cases when police first hand them over, which should significantly reduce the need for supplementary investigation requests compared to now."

He added that he believed "raising the completeness of police investigations will create an environment where the public is not harmed and investigations are conducted properly."

Hong also said the revision had put checks on police investigative authority in place.

"I think concerns that police investigative powers have grown too large or that police have become a 'dinosaur agency' have been largely addressed," Hong said. "The prosecution office, as the body responsible for filing and maintaining charges, will scrutinize police investigations thoroughly, strengthening the checks on police."

The Korean National Police Agency formed a task force in response to the revised Criminal Procedure Act, which the National Assembly passed Friday. The TF will prepare subordinate legislation and guidelines in line with the amendments and monitor how front-line police stations are complying with supplementary investigation requests.

Hong closed by saying that "as the role prosecutors previously played has been significantly adjusted, police bear greater responsibility to improve the completeness of investigations on their own." He pledged to "thoroughly supplement and review operations at the scene to ensure the public's concerns do not materialize."


arin@heraldcorp.com