ⓒYONHAP News

Justice Minister Cho Kuk unveiled his blueprint for reforming the nation's powerful prosecution, a month after taking office.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Cho laid out his priority reform measures to be enforced this month.

"[The Justice Ministry] will do all it can to institutionalize prosecution reform that prioritizes the human rights of the public. We will correct wrong investigative practices in order to respect human rights and properly exercise prosecutorial authority in a restrained manner. Late night interrogations will be abolished in principle, extended interrogations and unfair opening of irrelevant cases will be prohibited to protect the human rights of the public."

Under the plan, the maximum time allowed for the prosecution's notoriously arduous questioning of an individual will be kept to eight hours per session.

The plan also calls for reducing the prosecution's direct investigation of cases and minimizing the number of prosecutors being dispatched to other government agencies.

The Justice Ministry will introduce anti-corruption units at various regional headquarters to replace their "special divisions," which have been blamed for carrying out politically-driven probes.

"The reform of the prosecution cannot be done by any single individual or organization. Only when the public and the prosecution join hands to gather wisdom to take the active role as partners can the long-unrealized dream of the public be realized."

In the next several months, Cho said the prosecution will undergo an organizational restructuring and the government will eradicate special treatment accorded to former judiciary officials.

The briefing came as public opinion is sharply divided over Cho's qualification to carry out the reform task.

"I will do my utmost to reform the prosecution until the very end as I promised. Despite my insufficient ability, the tasks of prosecutorial reform are being carried out one by one and will continue to be done thanks to the public's yearning for the aim..."

Hours before the press briefing, the prosecution detained Cho's brother for alleged corruption in the management of a family-owned private school foundation.

The prosecution on the same day interrogated Cho's wife for the third time on suspicions related to her family's investment in a private equity fund and the alleged forgery of an accolade for her daughter's medical school application.