Anti-Corruption Commission Considers Public Recruitment for Enforcement Officers

Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Proposes Opening Up Enforcement Officer Positions to the Public
Former Court and Prosecution Officials Are Given Favoritism
Average Annual Income Over $76,000

Enforcement officers, often called “red seizure stickers” due to the seizure tags they attach, may soon be open to the public. News about this potential change has been circulating.

Recently, Edaily reported that there are plans to open up enforcement officer positions to the public.

According to the legal community, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission will survey the current state of enforcement officers in the first half of this year and consider reforms such as opening up qualifications to the public.

Enforcement officers are independent institutions under the sole jurisdiction, and they are stationed at local courts and support offices. They execute office work involving a process of suit and sending documents under jurisdiction. In other words, they handle the delivery of documents and goods, notification of fines and penalties, execution of court costs related to prosecution, and recovery of confiscated goods, all under the orders of the courts and the prosecution service.

The local court chief appoints enforcement officers. Most are ranked 4th class or higher (over 85%); in some regions, they are appointed from the 3rd class or higher. This means that the person’s rank attaching the “red seizure sticker” is equivalent to a judge.

The opening to the public points out this issue. There has been criticism that former court and prosecution officials receive preferential re-employment after retirement.

Enforcement officers do not receive a salary but treat the fees and allowances from the cases they handle as income. On the surface, they are public servants, but their behavior is similar to that of individual business owners. In 2011, the average annual revenue per enforcement officer nationwide was about $159,000; in 2017, it was about $83,700.

Depending on the jurisdiction, numerous enforcement officers’ income exceeds $761,600.

Meanwhile, seizure, known as the primary duty of enforcement officers, refers to when a state agency forcibly prevents someone from disposing of their property or exercising their rights at the request of creditors or others.

The situation commonly referred to as having a “red seizure sticker” attached is this seizure situation, and the formal name for this “red seizure sticker” is “seizure tag.” Each enforcement office uses different colors, including red, yellow, white, green, and pink.

As it is a compulsory act by the national enforcement agency, it can be carried out regardless of the debtor’s will or resistance.

Execution beyond the scope necessary for creditor satisfaction and compensation for enforcement costs is prohibited. If the value of the seized goods, even when converted into cash, does not promise a surplus after deducting expenses, compulsory execution cannot be carried out.