NCJ Number
138594
Date Published
1990
Length
37 pages
Annotation
This report presents the history, structure, and functions of the Korean public prosecutor's office.
Abstract
After the independence of Korea in 1945, following the Japanese surrender, the Public Prosecutor's Office Act was promulgated on December 20, 1949 and the current prosecution system was established. Although the public prosecutor's office is attached to the Ministry of Justice, which is one of the 24 ministries of the Executive Branch, it is a separate organization that consists of the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, high public prosecutor's offices, district public prosecutor's offices, and their branches. As of June 1, 1990, the authorized number of public prosecutors is 787, and support personnel number 4,967. The functions of the public prosecutor are to investigate crimes and initiate and maintain prosecution; direct and supervise the police and other investigative agencies in crime investigations; submit requests to the court for appropriate application of laws and regulations; direct and supervise the execution of criminal judgement; and institute, pursue, and supervise civil suits and administrative litigations in which the government is a party or participant. Prosecution authorities have organized many research and training programs for public prosecutors and their clerical staffs to enhance their professional abilities, to facilitate their keeping abreast of the rapidly changing society, and to enable them to conduct a comparative study with foreign legal systems. Tables profile the structures of the various offices within the prosecutorial system.