Seoul's Justice minister unveiled his prosecutorial reform plans after about a month in office.<br />The announcement comes after weeks of street rallies calling for a change in the judicial system.<br />Kim Mok-yeon outlines the measures proposed.<br />South Korea's Justice Minister Cho Kuk has announced a set of short and medium-term prosecutorial reform plans, most of which center on curbing the prosecution's power and prioritizing human rights.<br />"I will exert my utmost efforts to systematize a prosecutorial reform that prioritizes the rights of the public.<br />I will correct the wrong investigative customs of the prosecution so that it respects the rights of the people and exercises self-control.<br />In a press briefing on Tuesday, the newly appointed justice minister highlighted the urgency of reforming the prosecution.<br />Under the immediate measures, prosecutors will only be able to use investigative vehicles for work purposes. The measures also create a special committee to check the legitimacy of prosecutors being transferred to other government organizations.<br />In October, the ministry will push to abolish the special investigative units of the prosecution offices around the nation, which mostly focused on high-profile corruption, leaving only three major offices with such units.<br />As part of efforts to protect the human rights of those being questioned, the ministry will ban long and late-night questioning sessions and minimize the summoning of suspects and witnesses.<br />The Justice Ministry will also more closely monitor the prosecution and its administrative affairs.<br />As for medium-term goals, Cho pledged to reshuffle the organization so that prosecutors could better focus on their duties.<br />He also vowed to meet with incumbent prosecutors and the prosecution staff to listen to their opinions on how to improve the organization's management and performance.<br />The latest announcement marks the first time Cho unveiled his vision for change to the public since he took office last month.<br />Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.<br />
