[Restructuring Law Enforcement Agencies] Aiming at the Prosecution Service, the Slowest to Reform

On January 14, Cheong Wa Dae Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk began his announcement of government plans to reform law enforcement agencies with the case of Park Jong-chul, who died after being tortured by law enforcement officers--the case was the subject of the film, 1987.

Thirty-one years ago this day was the very day that Park Jong-chul died. Park went to the same high school as Cho and was a year younger than the senior secretary.

Cho appeared with four secretaries in his office and began with the words, "Even after the era of dictatorship had ended and an era of democracy had dawned, law enforcement agencies stood against the people according to the interests of the organization and the convenience of power."

"If these agencies had performed their roles properly, there would never have been an unconstitutional abuse of state authority," he continued. He said, "The Moon Jae-in government wants to sever this vicious cycle," and expressed the government's determination to reform law enforcement agencies.

The main reform measures that the senior secretary announced, including restrictions to the Prosecution Service's primary investigation and reforms to the external security intelligence division of the National Intelligence Service, were already included in the 100 major state tasks that the government had previously released. Most of the more concrete plans, such as the establishment of a security investigation office under the National Police Agency and the police investigation of the Prosecution Service, requires legislation from the National Assembly. Still, the Cheong Wa Dae senior secretary for civil affairs went ahead and released an overall summary of reform measures.

Why? Senior Secretary Cho stepped up due to complex reasons. First of all, his intention was to stress the necessity of reforms in law enforcement agencies, a key pledge by President Moon Jae-in, ahead of the first plenary session of the Special Committee for Judicial Reforms at the National Assembly on January 15.

If we line up the three major law enforcement agencies according to the intensity with which Cho criticized them, the Prosecution Service would be at the front followed by the National Intelligence Service and the National Police Agency. He criticized the Prosecution Service most severely, because it was a powerful state authority and perhaps because of an awareness of the slow pace at which it was rooting out long-established bad practices--slow even compared to the National Intelligence Service.

Besides, it is not easy for Cheong Wa Dae to push ahead with its plans since the Liberty Korea Party, the major opposition in a National Assembly with the opposition parties holding the majority of the seats, is fiercely opposing initiatives like the establishment of an investigative agency overseeing crimes by high-level public officials. Therefore, some voices claim that Cheong Wa Dae is trying to pressure parliamentary discussions with support from the public.

In fact, Senior Secretary Cho said, "Only the sustained support and attention of the people can prevent law enforcement agencies from retreating to a regressive state. The fundamental power of reforms lies with the people."

He said to the National Assembly, "We ask that you consider this with a broad mind so that law enforcement agencies can exist for the people and keep and eye on each other and keep each other in check."

A senior Cheong Wa Dae official said, "The approval rating for the Minjoo Party of Korea is 50%. Public support for the investigative agency for crimes by senior-level officials remains at 80%."

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