Hong Jong-hee, the first head of the Daegu Heavy Water Investigation Office, emphasizes professional investigative capabilities and human rights protection

Hong Jong-hee, the first head of the Daegu Regional Serious Crime Investigation Office, said on the 6th, "We will establish ourselves as the best professional investigative agency with professional investigative capabilities and become an investigative agency that considers human rights protection as its top priority."

Commissioner Hong said this during a doorstep with reporters on his first day at the Daegu Central Investigation Office at 8:50 a.m., “I think the Central Investigation Office has a lot to play in the major transformation of the criminal justice system where investigation and prosecution are separated.”

He said, "I feel a great sense of responsibility after being appointed as the head of the Daegu Regional Heavy Water Office. Although I hear many people say that various physical and human infrastructures are lacking, I will do my best to become a trusted investigative agency that meets the public's expectations with passion and dedication."

He continued, "It's good to be reprimanded, but we need a lot of support at this moment. If you support us, we will work harder and do better."

When asked about the first task to be solved as the first commissioner, he answered, "As this is an organization that has just started, I plan to do my best to lay the foundation for the organization."

When Commissioner Hong, a former prosecutor, was asked how the existing prosecutor's investigation and the Central Investigation Agency's investigation should be different, he said, "The separation of investigation and prosecution, which is the reason the Serious Crimes Investigation Office was launched, has no other meaning," and emphasized professional investigative capabilities and human rights protection.

Commissioner Hong did not specifically answer questions about the Daegu Heavy Water Investigation Office's 'No. 1 direct investigation case'.

The Daegu Heavy Water Administration was launched with a shortage of 77 people, with only 146 out of the 223 assigned. The filling rate is around 65.5%.

Accordingly, there are concerns about whether serious crime investigations in Daegu and Gyeongbuk can be carried out normally with the current manpower, and whether there will be delays or gaps in the investigation due to a lack of manpower.

How and to what extent the necessary manpower will be recruited is also considered a task for normalizing the organization.

When it was pointed out that the complainant waited for about an hour to file a case on the first day of launch, an official from the Central Investigation Agency instead explained, "The registration went well," and "There was only a slight delay in processing due to problems with the Criminal Justice Information System (KICS), and we asked for the complainant's understanding."

The Q&A on the way to work that day lasted only about 2 minutes and 50 seconds.

When reporters requested additional questions and answers, Commissioner Hong replied, "I will briefly say hello today, and next time we will have a deeper and more serious talk," and then headed to the Commissioner's office.

Investigators were lined up in the lobby of the office building, waiting for Commissioner Hong.

When Commissioner Hong entered the office, the investigators greeted and clapped their hands to welcome the first Commissioner on his first day of work.

Commissioner Hong served as former auditor of the Legal Aid Foundation of the Korean Bar Association and deputy chief prosecutor of the Daegu and Seoul High Prosecutors' Offices.