Starting in September, individuals applying for reexamination related to past events will be able to request access to finalized case records without any fees.
The Ministry of Justice announced on the 14th that it has prepared a special provision to exempt fees for applicants seeking access to finalized case records for the purpose of reexamination. This announcement is part of a legislative notice for a partial amendment to the 'Rules on Methods and Fees for Accessing Case Records.'
Previously, even victims of past events had to pay a fee of 500 won per case and an additional 50 won per page for accessing finalized case records, regardless of the purpose.
However, under the revised regulations from the Ministry of Justice, starting in September, not only will individuals with reexamination rights under the Criminal Procedure Act be exempt from fees, but also those applying for reexamination related to specific historical events such as the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident, the Jeju 4.3 Incident, the March 15 Uprising, the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising, and the Gwangju Democratization Movement. While all fees will be waived, applicants who repeatedly request access to the same case will incur fees to prevent abuse of the application rights.
The government is working to improve the system so that citizens can utilize the criminal justice system without the burden of procedural costs.
Earlier, the Ministry of Justice implemented a special provision that exempts all fees for accessing case records managed by the prosecution before evidence submission, in order to protect the defendant's right to defense, the constitutional right to a speedy trial, and the victim's right to participate in the trial process. This provision has been in effect since May 1.
As a result, it is expected that from May onward, the annual fees of approximately 1.8 billion won (about 182,000 cases) that defendants, victims, and attorneys previously had to pay for accessing case records during trials will be eliminated.
Jeong Seong-ho, Deputy Minister of Justice, stated, "We plan to pursue various improvements to ensure that related parties are not marginalized and are well protected throughout the case record access process and the criminal justice procedures."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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