By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Prosecutor General Kim Joon-gyu said Thursday he will take steps to root out all bureaucratic and outdated systems within the prosecution.
In the first meeting with reporters at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, Kim said he will remove information about prosecutors' alma maters and province of origin from its database, a move to eradicate old practices where personnel management and major investigations are swayed by connections among those from the same schools or birthplaces.
He also vowed to change the operation mechanism of the office's central investigation unit that has mainly handled politically sensitive investigations.
"As I noted during my confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, I will take the prosecutors' alma mater and their birthplaces out of the database," Kim said.
"This is to make our organization more transparent in assessing each prosecutor." Kim will also ask courts and Web sites to get rid of relevant information.
Many argue that this information has little to do with an individual's on-the-job capability, which has played a pivotal role in promotion. Province of origin and academic background have long been influential factors.
He hopes to implement major changes in the way the prosecution is run.
"Each member's ability and sincerity will become critical factors," he stressed. "Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han backed my plan during my briefing to him."
Kim also said he will distance himself from the media to prevent suspects' private information from being leaked.