Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon directly criticized the revised Criminal Procedure Act that took effect on the 2nd, arguing that a criminal justice system should be simple and clear but has instead become so complex that even experts cannot follow it.
Han spoke on the 1st, a day before the revised law took effect, at a policy forum titled "Abolishing the Prosecution: The Gates of Hell Open Tomorrow," held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. "I have made a living off this system for a long time, and even I cannot tell what it is saying," Han said. "I look at it for an hour and think I understand, then forget it the next day." He added, "It is also true that a criminal justice system has to tolerate inefficiency, but paradoxically it also has to be extremely simple."
Han stressed that the system should be like an "NH movement." "People who are into watches know this, but among mechanical watches there is something called the NH movement," he said. "It is cheap, simple and has no special features. A criminal justice system has to be like this to avoid breaking down." The NH movement — the mechanical assembly that drives a watch — refers to the NH35a movement made by Japan's Seiko. It is known for a design that rarely malfunctions.
"Right now it has been built to be wildly complicated and hollow, and it is already broken," he said. "The stage where you could fix this a little more has passed."
"A prosecution system that has enforced the criminal justice system for nearly 100 years is disappearing overnight," Han said. "From the public's standpoint, it is like the seat belt suddenly vanishing in a car speeding down the road." He added, "You have no choice but to hold on tight to your seat. The state will not be able to help you properly, so do not get scammed and do not get into disputes."
