overhaul

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved two prosecution reform bills that would dismantle the current prosecution service later this year to separate its exclusive power to both initiate criminal probes and indict suspects.

When promulgated, it would mark a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s prosecution system. Under the new laws, the prosecution office will be shut down in October, 78 years after its establishment in 1948, and two new agencies will exercise indictment and investigate roles, respectively.

The bills on establishing the so-called serious crimes investigation agency and the indictment agency, pushed by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), were passed at the National Assembly last week in a plenary session boycotted by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

Under the laws, the new indictment agency will handle only indictments, while investigative powers will be transferred to the newly established serious crimes investigation agency.

The new investigative body will be established under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and will be responsible for probing six major crimes, including corruption, economic offenses, defense industry-related crimes and drug offenses.

The government has been seeking to separate the prosecution service’s authority over both indictment and investigation amid longstanding criticism that the prosecution has abused its exclusive powers by carrying out politically motivated investigations.

The DP has argued that the reform is needed to curb potential political abuse of prosecutorial power, while the PPP has warned it could weaken checks on investigators and increase the risk of political influence.

The two new agencies are set to be established after the abolition of the prosecution office.

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March 20 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s arms procurement agency has pledged a sweeping overhaul of its systems and export strategy as it pushes toward the government’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top four defense exporters. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, or DAPA, is South Korea’s defense procurement agency, and it is now led by Administrator Lee Yong-cheol.

Speaking at a briefing with defense reporters in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee said the agency would press ahead with faster decision-making, stronger export execution and greater technological self-reliance. He said the current moment amounted to a last chance to reform an organization long criticized for inefficiency and delay.

Lee said DAPA’s export drive must go beyond ceremonial overseas trips and focus instead on securing contracts and building practical business outcomes. But he also acknowledged that export growth alone is not enough if the underlying system remains slow and structurally weak.

One of the clearest examples, he said, was the long-delayed KDDX next-generation destroyer program. The project drifted for more than two years as authorities failed to make a policy choice between direct contracting and open bidding, exposing what Lee described as a deeper decision-making problem rather than a regulatory one.

Lee said South Korea also remains behind in drone warfare capabilities. While drones have become central to modern combat, the country’s military systems are still focused largely on reconnaissance, with limited strike and interception capacity and continued dependence on imported core components. He said DAPA plans to rely more heavily on rapid acquisition and early deployment of prototypes to speed fielding.

Defense semiconductors remain another major vulnerability. South Korea depends heavily on foreign technology for key components used in radars, guided weapons and communications systems, a weakness Lee described as an urgent national task. He said the answer lies in building stronger links between the civilian semiconductor sector and military demand while sustaining long-term investment.

Lee also pointed to Canada’s submarine procurement program as a major test of South Korea’s export competitiveness. He said the outlook was not unfavorable but remained uncertain, describing the bid as a national effort involving diplomacy, industry and military capabilities. Yonhap reported Friday that Lee sees the contest as essentially even, with South Korea competing against Germany for a contract covering 12 submarines.

DAPA said it will also seek structural reforms to prevent repeated delays, including penalties for intentional slowdowns and changes to procurement procedures that can trap projects in repeated failed bidding cycles. Lee has instructed staff to move from planning-based administration to execution-based management, with clear deadlines and accountability.

The agency’s challenge now is whether it can turn reform rhetoric into durable institutional change. For South Korea to become a top-tier defense exporter, industry officials say, speed, structure, technology and political resolve will all need to advance together.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260320010006140

Caracas, March 19, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez tapped Gustavo González López as the country’s new defense minister on Wednesday, replacing Vladimir Padrino López after more than a decade in the post.

“We thank General Vladimir Padrino López for his loyalty and for having been the first soldier in the defense of our country for so many years,” Rodríguez wrote on social media. In response, Padrino thanked the acting president and stated that “serving the Homeland” had been his “highest honor.”

Padrino had served as defense minister since October 2014. The four-star general staved off a number of US-backed coup attempts, including the May 2020 “Operation Gideon” failed mercenary invasion. 

In 2025, the Biden administration announced a $15 million bounty for information leading to Padrino’s capture as part of a “narcoterrorism” indictment against several Venezuelan leaders, including President Nicolás Maduro. However, US officials have not presented evidence tying Venezuelan high-ranking officials to narcotics activities. 

Padrino’s removal follows the January 3 US military strikes against Venezuela that saw special forces kidnap Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Despite months of defense exercises in the face of escalating US threats, Venezuelan forces, particularly air defenses, were quickly neutralized by US bombing and electromagnetic warfare on January 3.

The Venezuelan armed forces have yet to offer a complete account of the operation, including a definitive list of casualties that are said to surpass 100. Padrino condemned the US attacks and pointed to Washington’s military superiority, arguing that it would have been “suicidal” for Venezuelan air force jets to take off and engage with the enemy.

The 60-year-old Gustavo González López previously held posts as interior minister and director of intelligence services and has been under US sanctions since 2015. A career military officer, he briefly studied at the School of the Americas in the early 1990s. 

Following the January 3 attacks, González was chosen by Rodríguez to lead the presidential guard. He was pictured alongside the acting president during a visit to Caracas from CIA Director John Ratcliffe on January 16. General Henry Navas will replace González as Commander of the Presidential Guard of Honor.

Rodríguez announced several other cabinet changes on Wednesday. She had previously replaced the industry, oil, tourism, healthcare, communications, and eco-socialism ministers as well.

Jorge Márquez and Rolando Alcalá will take over the housing and electricity portfolios, respectively. Furthermore, Supreme Court magistrate Carlos Alexis Castillo will serve as labor minister amid rising demands for minimum wage increases and labor rights, replacing veteran official Eduardo Piñate.

Former Caracas mayor Jacqueline Faría was likewise appointed as the new transport minister, replacing Aníbal Coronado after two months in the post. Faría’s appointment followed a public transportation strike in Caracas as private bus operators push to increase single-ride fares to 120 bolívars, roughly US $0.25 at the present exchange rate.

Wednesday’s cabinet changes also included Raúl Cazal becoming culture minister, replacing Ernesto Villegas, who had held the post since 2017. Villegas is one of the candidates shortlisted by the Venezuelan National Assembly for the vacant ombudsman post.

Finally, Rodríguez picked academic Ana María Sanjuan as minister of higher education, replacing Ricardo Sánchez. A trained psychologist and professor at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), Sanjuan had participated in political dialogue initiatives as a representative of moderate opposition sectors.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Fusagasugá, Colombia.