Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) introduced a bill Wednesday aimed at abolishing the prosecution's right to conduct supplementary investigations. This legislative proposal was put forward during a meeting of the National Assembly Committee on Legislation and Judiciary, despite facing significant protests from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), whose members boycotted the session.

According to Yonhap News Agency, PPP lawmakers chose to stage a rally outside the assembly, expressing their disapproval of what they termed the ruling party's unilateral decision to advance the bill. The controversy arises amid stalled negotiations between the DP and PPP over the allocation of standing committee chairs, which has heightened tensions between the two parties.

The DP-controlled National Assembly recently elected the chiefs of a special budget committee and 10 parliamentary standing committees, including the judiciary committee. This committee holds considerable influence as it has the authority to approve bills before they are presented for a plenary vote.

In late September, former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok declared that the government had decided to scrap the prosecution's right to supplementary investigations. However, he emphasized that the government would respect the National Assembly's decision and refrained from proposing a new bill on the matter.

The DP's recent legislative push is part of its broader agenda for prosecution reform. The proposed changes include dismantling the current prosecution system and establishing two new agencies, each responsible for handling investigations and indictments separately. This legislation successfully passed through parliament and the Cabinet in March and is set to take effect in October.