South Korea ruling party advances prosecution reform bill
· UPIJuly 22 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's ruling Democratic Party reaffirmed Wednesday that prosecutors should be barred from conducting investigations as lawmakers accelerated their review of legislation abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigative authority.
A National Assembly judiciary subcommittee completed its initial review of three proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act and began working to reconcile key differences into a single alternative bill.
Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, said there was no disagreement within the party over the principle of separating investigative and prosecutorial authority.
"The principle that prosecutors do not investigate is both the starting point and the completion of prosecution reform separating investigations from indictments," Han said during a meeting of the party's Supreme Council.
"Differences over specific details must not be allowed to undermine that fundamental principle or become a means of reviving prosecutors' investigative authority," he said.
The party plans to finalize and announce a revised proposal before its national convention Aug. 17.
The first bill review subcommittee of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee completed its first reading of three amendments sponsored by Democratic Party lawmakers Hong Kee-won and Seo Young-kyo and People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Jeom-sig.
"With this, we have completed the initial review of the major proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act," said Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won, who chairs the subcommittee.
Kim said lawmakers would draft alternative provisions based on three priorities: digitizing investigative records, improving the quality of investigations and processing cases more quickly.
The provisions would be designed to uphold the separation of investigative and prosecutorial functions, he said.
Lawmakers also discussed strengthening victims' rights amid concerns that abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigative authority could result in deficient investigations, particularly in crimes involving socially vulnerable people.
Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Park Eun-jung said she would support Seo's proposal to establish a right for complainants and victims to challenge investigative decisions.
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min said the government and ruling party had firmly agreed that prosecutors should retain no investigative authority.
He said lawmakers should address concerns about deficient investigations by strengthening the rights of victims rather than indirectly allowing prosecutors to conduct additional investigations.
Some ruling party lawmakers expressed concern that the opposition People Power Party could attempt to delay the legislation after returning to parliamentary proceedings.
Kim Seung-won noted that aides and policy specialists from the People Power Party attended Wednesday's subcommittee meeting and followed the discussion.
"They must not later try to return the debate to the beginning by claiming they did not know what was discussed," Kim said.
The judiciary committee was also scheduled to hold an emergency plenary meeting Wednesday afternoon to question government officials about several cases.
The agenda included allegations that a former People Power Party member of the Cheongju City Council sexually exploited a minor and claims that former President Yoon Suk Yeol violated the Public Official Election Act.
Officials from the Justice Ministry, the National Court Administration, the Interior and Safety Ministry and the National Office of Investigation were expected to attend.
-- 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=20260722010007987