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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Justice Minister to probe prosecutors' rejection of warrants in child sex abuse case

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho will investigate why prosecutors rejected arrest and search warrants for a former Cheongju city council member accused of child sexual offenses.
  • Chung stated he has "thoroughly reviewed" the prosecutor's decision and will initiate an "inspection" if necessary, apologizing for causing public concern.
  • The case involves allegations of sexual trafficking and illegal filming of a minor, with prosecutors initially rejecting warrants, citing a need for further investigation into the scope of the alleged offenses.

Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho announced he will thoroughly review the prosecution's decision to reject arrest and search warrants for a former Cheongju city council member accused of child sexual trafficking and illegal filming. Chung stated he would initiate an inspection if deemed necessary, following criticism from lawmakers that the rejection hindered the investigation.

I will thoroughly review whether it was an appropriate judgment, and if necessary, I will also conduct an inspection.

— Chung Sung-hoResponding to criticism about the prosecution's rejection of warrants.

"I have severely reprimanded prosecutors, telling them that they still lack sensitivity to the pain of victims and the emotions of the general public regarding such issues," Chung told the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. He added that prosecutors should actively investigate and cooperate with police to supplement any deficiencies in initial warrant applications, rather than rejecting them outright.

I have severely reprimanded prosecutors, telling them that they still lack sensitivity to the pain of victims and the emotions of the general public regarding such issues.

— Chung Sung-hoExpressing his dissatisfaction with the prosecution's handling of the case.

The case involves allegations against Choi Young-joong, a former council member, who was accused of sexually trafficking and illegally filming a minor. The Cheongju Cheongwon Police applied for an arrest warrant on July 9, approximately five months after receiving a complaint from the victim, to confirm if there were additional victims. However, the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office rejected the warrant, judging it to be part of a separate investigation. They requested additional details on the search locations and specific information about Choi's workplace and vehicle.

Prosecutors should actively investigate and cooperate with police to supplement any deficiencies in initial warrant applications, rather than rejecting them outright.

— Chung Sung-doOutlining expectations for prosecutorial conduct in investigations.

Police reapplied for the search warrant on July 13, which was subsequently issued. Choi, who was elected as a People Power Party council member in the June 3 local elections, resigned on July 16 and was expelled from the party on July 20. In response to a lawmaker's request to secure potential volatile evidence immediately, Chung assured that he would "take immediate action."

If there is volatile evidence, prosecutors can request immediate preservation from telecommunication service providers even without a warrant. If preservation is possible today, please do so.

— Kim Yong-minA lawmaker urging swift action to secure evidence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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