Former Chief Prosecutors: "Prosecution Future Committee Investigation Team Must Stop Securing Trial Records"

▲ Prosecution Committee for Human Rights and Future

Former chief prosecutors have once again voiced their opposition to the attempts by the investigation team of the Prosecution Committee for Human Rights and Future (Prosecution Future Committee)—a body launched to examine allegations of abuse of investigative power—to secure trial records, labeling such actions as "clearly illegal."

Hong Seung-wook, Kim Yu-cheol, and Shin Bong-soo, former chief prosecutors of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, along with Song Gyeong-ho, former chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, issued a statement today (July 21), arguing, "The investigation team is currently attempting to secure trial records for cases such as the North Korea remittance case, which are still ongoing." They claimed, "This is an attempt that seriously undermines the independence of the judiciary and the fairness of trials."

They stated, "The current Criminal Procedure Act strictly regulates the right to access trial records," adding, "Records of cases currently in trial are restricted so that only the Defendant and The Attorney can request to view or copy them to ensure the protection of the Defendant's right to defense."

They further emphasized, "The Ministry of Justice directives or Supreme Prosecutors' Office guidelines that serve as the basis for the establishment of the investigation team are subordinate norms to the Criminal Procedure Act and cannot expand the subjects authorized to view or copy records as defined by law, nor can they create new rights to access records."

They remarked, "As legal professionals, prosecutors cannot be unaware of these legal principles," and added, "It is concerning whether the leadership of the Ministry of Justice or the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is coercing frontline prosecutors to provide records illegally without clear legal grounds or official written instructions."

They urged, "The provision and collection of trial records without legal basis can lead to serious criminal liability, including abuse of power, leakage of official secrets, and violations of the Personal Information Protection Act," and demanded, "The investigation team must immediately cease these illegal attempts, which place fellow prosecutors—who are struggling with the lack of legal basis—in a difficult position, without providing a clear explanation."

The former chief prosecutors also issued a statement on July 13, arguing that the activities of the investigation team constitute a significant intervention in ongoing trials.

The Prosecution Future Committee was launched on June 10 to uncover the truth behind allegations of human rights violations and abuse of prosecutorial power.

The seven cases currently under investigation include the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case, the Daejang-dong case, the case of Kim Yong, former vice director of the Institute for Democracy, the Wirye New Town case, the West Sea public official shooting case, the case involving Distorted statistics, and the case regarding allegations of false reporting on the defamation of Yoon Suk Yeol.

(Photo: Provided by Ministry of Justice, Yonhap News)

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