The Korean version of the "Independent Commission Against Corruption" was formally established, and Korean media: The objects of investigation include current and former presidents and other related corruption and illegal acts
[Global Times Comprehensive Report] The South Korean Senior Public Officials Crime Investigation Office (referred to as the Public Mediation Office), known as the Korean version of the "Independent Commission Against Corruption," was formally established on the 21st and started to operate.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in issued a certificate of appointment to the first director Jin Jinyu on the same day for a term of three years.
According to a report from South Korea’s KBS TV station on the 21st, Moon Jae-in said that it is very important for the public mediation office to be established for the first time to gain the trust of the people, and it is especially necessary to maintain the independence and neutrality of handling cases, especially to get rid of political interference and existing restrictions.
Moon Jae-in emphasized that the Public Mediation Office must have the confidence and sense of mission to protect the integrity of senior public officials, maintain social justice, and eliminate corruption.
In this regard, Jin Zhenyu said that he will focus his work on building advanced case-handling institutions and investigating institutions that respect human rights, in order to gain the trust and support of the people, and to change the past bad habits of the prosecutors in investigating cases related to senior public officials.
According to reports, the South Korean government will establish a public mediation office as an important part of promoting judicial reform.
The Public Mediation Office is a power-based corruption investigation agency that has both investigative power and prosecution power. It will improve the abuse of the prosecutor’s exclusive power of prosecution that has been criticized for the arbitrary exercise of investigative power and prosecution power. It has profound significance in the history of Korean constitutionalism.
“The outside world is paying great attention to whether the Public Mediation Office can maintain its true neutrality.” South Korea’s “Seoul News” reported on the 21st that when prosecutors were investigating crimes committed by senior public officials, they were often accused of random investigations, and they were also subject to collusion with some political forces. In dispute, the Public Mediation Office broke the prosecution's privileges in this area, so it has special significance.
The so-called senior public officials, including current and former presidents, members of Congress, presidents and justices of the Supreme Court, ministers and deputy ministers of government ministries and commissions, and chief prosecutors, mainly investigate and deal with related bribery, bribery to third parties, abuse of power, and inaction And other corrupt and illegal acts.
Although South Korea’s ruling party is full of praise for the establishment of the Public Mediation Office, the conservative opposition parties worry that if such an institution with huge authority cannot maintain political neutrality, it may become a "government investigation office."
Some analysts believe that due to the special nature of the Public Mediation Office, it is likely to be picky in the future and will become the object of all parties' magnifying glass inspection.
(Zhang Jing)