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| Kim Jin-suk, chief of criminal justice policy for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, speaks at the National Digital Forensic Center during an interview with The Korea Times in her office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, Tuesday. / Korea Times |
Korea's scientific investigation technique impresses foreign prosecutors
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Korea's prosecution system is drawing Asian attention for its war on corruption, which has sometimes led to the relatives of former presidents being jailed while the leaders were in power.
Since 2010, several delegations from Asia and the Middle East have visited the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (SPO) in Seocho-dong, Seoul.
In 2014, 136 law enforcement officials from 26 countries visited the SPO for a close look at its digital investigation environment and knowhow.
SPO Criminal Justice Policy chief Kim Jin-suk said some delegations were curious about Korea's experience in fighting corruption, and some were struck by the state-of-the-art scientific investigation equipment.
The prosecutor said the latest visitors were prosecutors from the southeastern China province of Fujian.
"Chinese President Xi Jinping has launched a massive anti-corruption drive since he took power in 2013," she said.
"I was told that prosecutors in China are not allowed to investigate criminal cases as powerful Chinese public security officials, who are equivalent to police in Korea, dominate the legal process, including investigations.
"Chinese delegates appeared to be impressed by the Korean prosecution system as prosecutors here are allowed to investigate cases and are in a position to supervise the police."
Her remarks were construed as meaning that no entity can control public security officials in China and this provided a loophole for abuses of power.
Kim noted that Korea's prosecution system seemed to be effective in fighting corruption because prosecutors armed with professional legal knowledge lead investigations.
She said such a system fully empowered prosecutors in their pursuit of justice, which was critical in bringing the relatives and families of former presidents to justice in several influence-peddling cases.
While former presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung were in office, their sons were put behind the bars for influence-peddling. Former president Roh Moo-hyun's brother faced a similar fate.
The now-defunct central investigation unit handled high-profile corruption cases involving presidents' family members and relatives. It also investigated illegal campaign money raised by political parties and brought some officials to justice.
Korea's war on corruption is drawing keen attention from Thailand, whose former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, was involved in a similar high-profile corruption case.
Since 2010, Thailand has sent dozens of prosecutors to the SPO every year to learn from Korean prosecutors' experiences in high-profile influence-peddling cases.
Thaksin, a business tycoon-turned-politician who is in self-imposed exile, is accused of various criminal charges. The Supreme Court of Thailand ruled that the former premier abused his power to help his wife buy public land at an auction and was sentenced to two years' jail.
Kim said a Thai prosecutor-general and a royal family member, who was a prosecutor, visited the SPO years ago to learn from Korea's experience in cases involving the families or relatives of former presidents.
Scientific investigation is another key factor drawing attention from Asian countries.
Last year, SPO officials met delegations from Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Kim said these delegations were interested in the state-of-the-art forensic center and digital devices because criminals had become sophisticated in using digital technology.
"We received several questions from those officials when we presented a photo of the Digital Forensic Vehicle, a specially designed vehicle equipped with state-of-the-art digital technology to help investigators collect and analyze evidence from the crime scene," she said. "Some of them were wondering if they could buy it."
In 2008, the SPO established the National Digital Forensic Center (NDFC) to respond to the changing technological environment. Prosecutors and field experts use its state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to analyze evidence.
Overseas prosecutors visit the NDFC as part of their SPO itinerary.
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