Cheon Seong-ho
Overview
Cheon Seong-ho (천성호, born 1968) is a South Korean legal professional. After graduating from Seoul National University's College of Law and passing the bar exam, he was commissioned as a prosecutor. He subsequently served as the head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Litigation and Trial Affairs Department, Director of the Prosecution Bureau at the Ministry of Justice, and Vice Minister of Justice, working to reform the prosecutorial organization and enhance the efficiency of the judicial system. He is particularly recognized for his contributions to strengthening the fairness of criminal justice procedures and protecting human rights.
Main Content
Life and Education
Cheon Seong-ho was born in Seoul in 1968. He graduated from Gyeonggi High School and entered Seoul National University's College of Law. After passing the 32nd bar examination in 1990 and completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute, he was commissioned as a prosecutor at the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office in 1993.
Career as a Prosecutor
After being commissioned as a prosecutor, Cheon Seong-ho primarily worked in criminal and trial divisions, handling various cases. In the early 2000s, he worked at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Central Investigation Division, investigating major economic and corruption cases. In the 2010s, he served as Director of the Prosecution Bureau at the Ministry of Justice, overseeing prosecutorial personnel, budgets, and organizational operations. During this period, he emphasized the political neutrality and independence of the prosecution and focused on improving the personnel system for prosecutors.
Tenure as Vice Minister of Justice
In 2019, Cheon Seong-ho was appointed Vice Minister of Justice. During his tenure, he promoted key prosecutorial reform tasks, including the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police, the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), and the reduction of direct prosecutorial investigations. In particular, he contributed to easing the prosecution's monopoly on indictment and expanding the police's authority to conclude investigations. Additionally, through amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, he established institutional mechanisms to protect the rights of suspects and strengthen the right to counsel access.
Post-Retirement Activities
After stepping down as Vice Minister of Justice, Cheon Seong-ho has been active as a lawyer, focusing on legal consultation and human rights advocacy. He also lectures on law at universities, contributing to the training of future legal professionals. He continues to express his views on judicial system reform and the establishment of the rule of law through columns in various media outlets.
Recent Trends
As of 2024, Cheon Seong-ho is serving as a representative lawyer at a law firm, providing legal advice on digital evidence collection and personal information protection. Recently, he has taken an interest in the convergence of AI and legal systems, conducting research on establishing ethical guidelines for AI-based legal services. He also plans to publish a book in 2025 on the achievements and challenges of judicial reform.
Related Topics
- [[Prosecutorial Reform]]
- [[Vice Minister of Justice]]
- [[Criminal Procedure Act Amendment]]
- [[Adjustment of Investigative Authority between Prosecution and Police]]
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