Acting justice minister Shim Woo-jung ordered the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to make improvements to investigation procedures in cases of medical malpractice, in a bid to allow those in medicine to focus on providing medical services.

In issuing the order on Thursday, Shim urged the prosecution to actively apply regulations under the emergency medical service law stipulating sentence reduction in cases of malpractice that occur without gross negligence that occur during emergency medical procedures.

The acting minister also called for an active use of the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency for a reasonable ruling, and to refrain from unnecessary face-to-face inquiries.

He also called on the state investigative agency to swiftly wrap up cases when there is a clear lack of offense in the complaint, and to have medical professionals participate in criminal mediation in medical malpractice cases.

The order comes as the government considers the shortage of doctors in essential medicine to have been exacerbated by the burden of criminal or civil lawsuits following accusations of malpractice.