Cho Kook, former Minister of Justice. News 1
Former Justice Minister Cho Kook argued that “it is not the time to argue that’only prosecutors can do well’ in relation to the investigation of allegations of land speculation by employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH).” This is a statement to the effect that close cooperation between the swordsman and the policeman is necessary. At the same time, it is also a refutation of the opposition party’s argument that’the prosecution should entrust the investigation.
On the afternoon of the 10th, Cho said on social media (SNS), “We only need to cooperate closely on the premise of the new prosecutor-police relationship confirmed in December 2019.” The new prosecutor-police relationship refers to the final agreement on the adjustment of the prosecutor’s and police investigation rights prepared at the end of 2019.
The 4+1 council, which combined the Democratic, Right Future, Justice, Peace Party, and the Alternative New Party, prepared an amendment to the’Prosecution and Police Investigation Rights Adjustment Act’, and the finalized amendment bill passed a plenary session of the National Assembly in January of the following year. The bill passed defines the prosecution and the police as a cooperative relationship, and the main purpose is to give the police the primary investigative power.
At that time, after the revised bill was passed, former Minister Cho evaluated through SNS as “the relationship between master and slave, which had been maintained since the enactment of the Criminal Procedure Act in 1954, was abolished and reorganized into a cooperative relationship. This is a drastic change in the criminal justice system.” .
Meanwhile, on the same day, the government discussed plans for prosecutors and police investigations, in which the prosecution and police form a separate consultative body for the investigation of alleged LH speculation at an emergency agency meeting presided over by Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun. This is a reaffirmation of the basic principle of investigating alleged LH speculation cases centered on the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters.
Reporter Jang Joo-young [email protected]
