With the launch of the Public Prosecution Service next month, the investigative departments responsible for direct investigations at local prosecution offices will be completely abolished and reorganized into a Major Crimes Division focused on cooperation and support with investigative agencies.
The Ministry of Justice announced on September 4 that it will publicly announce the draft of the 'Public Prosecution Service and its affiliated institutions' and the amendment to the 'Prosecutor's Office Act Enforcement Decree' by September 9.
This reform plan aims to completely abolish the prosecution's investigative initiation function and significantly strengthen its core functions of judicial control over investigative agencies and maintaining prosecutions.
First, many organizations that supported direct investigations by prosecutors will be streamlined. The Crime Information Planning Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and its two subordinate divisions, which analyzed and verified crime information for prosecutors' investigations, will be abolished. The Anti-Corruption and Drug and Organized Crime Divisions, which directed major crime investigations, will be merged into a Major Crimes Division to focus on substantial cooperation and case handling with related investigative agencies.
As the field investigation functions are transferred to the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, the Ministry of Justice has also decided to abolish the current Forensic Science Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. However, a forensic planning officer at the deputy chief prosecutor level and three subordinate divisions will remain to handle cross-examinations and evidence analysis necessary for prosecution decisions and maintenance.
Consequently, the headquarters of the Public Prosecution Service will be restructured from eight divisions in the existing Supreme Prosecutors' Office to six divisions, six bureaus, and 30 sections and offices.
The 43 departments responsible for direct investigations at local prosecution offices will be abolished, and 29 Major Crimes Divisions will be established to handle cooperation and support with investigative agencies, as well as prosecution and maintenance. Among these, five divisions will operate as dedicated departments corresponding one-to-one with the Major Crimes Investigation Agency's joint investigation division. The 67 sections responsible for investigation and inquiry will also be completely abolished.
With the reduction of direct investigation departments, the number of deputy chief prosecutor positions will also decrease. The fourth deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the second deputy chief prosecutors at the Daegu and Busan District Prosecutors' Offices will be eliminated, returning the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to a 'three-deputy chief system,' while Daegu and Busan will each have only one deputy chief prosecutor.
The space left by the reduction of direct investigation organizations will be filled by functions related to handling civil cases and overseeing investigative agencies. To respond to general criminal cases, which account for 94% of all cases, a 'Criminal Planning Officer' at the deputy chief prosecutor level will be newly established in the Criminal Division of the Public Prosecution Service headquarters, along with a 'Special Judicial Police Cooperation Division' responsible for guiding and training special judicial police.
A 'Judicial Control Division' will also be established in each local public prosecution office to rigorously review non-prosecution cases by investigative agencies. This division will utilize the fact-finding verification system under the amended Criminal Procedure Act to examine the legality and adequacy of non-prosecution cases and will act as a monitoring body to demand re-investigation or disciplinary action if necessary. The Judicial Control Division will also be responsible for handling cases where the police fail to comply with supplementary investigation requests or where cases are decided to be re-prosecuted by the appellate body.
Additionally, to enhance the tracking and freezing of criminal proceeds, recovery divisions and sections will be established in the Seoul Central, Seoul Southern, and Busan local public prosecution offices, and 11 prosecution offices will be newly created to handle the apprehension of individuals with unexecuted prison sentences.
The newly launched Public Prosecution Service will consist of the headquarters, six regional public prosecution offices, 18 local public prosecution offices, and 42 branch offices. The total staffing will include 2,292 prosecutors and 6,120 administrative staff, totaling 8,412 personnel. The Ministry of Justice plans to evaluate the newly established Judicial Control Division and Major Crimes Division within three years to continuously monitor their performance and workload.
A Ministry of Justice official stated, "During the legislative notice period, we will gather various opinions from related agencies, experts, and the public to swiftly conclude the amendment process, ensuring that the Public Prosecution Service can establish itself as a dedicated prosecution agency for the people without any issues."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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