Police hold forum on victim-centered justice reform amid backlash over scrapped supplementary investigation powers

The Korean National Police Agency co-hosted an academic conference Friday with the Korean Society of Victimology to discuss victim-centered criminal justice reform ahead of the planned abolition of the prosecution service.

The agency said the forum was convened "to explore ways to more robustly guarantee victims' rights following the restructuring of the criminal justice system."

A representative of the Korean Society of Victimology attending the conference urged that protections be extended beyond the so-called "seven vulnerable-group crimes" — domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, child and youth sex crimes, child abuse, abuse of people with disabilities, and elder abuse — designated for referral to the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. The representative called for coverage to expand to other crimes committed against vulnerable populations.

Concerns had been raised that victim protections could be weakened after the amended Code of Criminal Procedure, which passed the National Assembly on July 31, stripped prosecutors of their authority to order supplementary police investigations. In response, the Democratic Party of Korea, which led the revision, proposed that police refer certain vulnerable-group crimes to the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency for follow-up investigation.

The conference, attended by both police and prosecution officials, also included sessions where victims of stalking and other relationship-based crimes, as well as sex crime victims, could share their experiences.

Yoo Jae-seong, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said it "cannot be overstated that police must prioritize victim protection and build the right systems during this period of change." He added that the agency would continue working with the Korean Society of Victimology and other relevant organizations on policy research and institutional improvements to establish a victim-centered criminal justice system.