The 10^th Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice International Forum was convened on December 13^th on the theme of “Criminal Justice and Legal Policy Responses to Combat Transnational Organized Crime.” The event was also livestreamed on YouTube.

Commencing with opening remarks from KICJ President Tae-hoon Ha and congratulatory remarks from Vice Minister Noh Kong Lee of the Ministry of Justice and Director John Brandolino of the UNODC Division for Treaty Affairs, the forum opened with keynote speeches from Dr. Jason Ackleson, Senior Advisor of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who emphasized the need for a new whole-of-government, whole-of-partner approach against transnational organized crime, and Deputy Prosecutor General Woo Jung Shim from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office speaking on the characteristics, harms, and countermeasures against transnational organized crime.

Each Thematic Session addressed the five major types of transnational organized crime: illicit drugs, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, cybercrime, money laundering, and terrorism. Thematic Session I on illicit drugs had Deputy Director Rick Brown of the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) as the keynote speaker via video discussing the drug policies in Australia, highlighting the benefits of demand reduction strategies. Senior Prosecutor Wanhee Hong from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and KICJ Senior Research Fellow Dr. Yeong Sil Jeon participated as panelists.

In the Thematic Session II on human trafficking and migrant smuggling, Director Natalia Ollus from the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control affiliated with the United Nations (HEUNI) delivered the keynote address on forced labor and labor exploitation in Europe. Senior Deputy Director Young-Seok Go from the Immigration Policy Division at the Ministry of Justice and Prof. Jung-hyun Cho from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Law School participated in the discussions. Thematic Session III on cybercrime had Director Douglas Durán Chavarría of the UN Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD) speaking on cybercrime in the Latin America and the Caribbean region and its connections to other forms of transnational organized crime. Panelists included Prosecutor Jinhee Lee from the International Criminal Affairs Division at the Ministry of Justice and KICJ Senior Research Fellow Dr. Hyun-Wook Chun.

Next, Thematic Session IV on money laundering and asset recovery opened with the keynote address from President Peter German of the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy (ICCLR) on the changing trends in money laundering, such as the emergence of global money laundering organizations (GMLO). Prosecutor Hyungseok Shim from the Korea Communications Commissions and KICJ Senior Research Fellow Dr. Seok Ku Kang participated as panelists. The final Thematic Session V on terrorism had Executive Director Phiset Sa-ardyen of the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) discussing preventive measures against violent extremism in Southeast Asia, with Director Jae Hyok Ryu of the Counterterrorism Division at the National Police Agency and KICJ Senior Research Fellow Dr. Hae Sung Yoon as panelists. The forum concluded with closing remarks from President Ha.