Seoul: The National Assembly, predominantly led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), has successfully passed a contentious bill aimed at stripping the prosecution's direct investigative powers. This legislative move has been met with strong opposition from the main opposition party, the People Power Party (PPP).
According to Yonhap News Agency, the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act was approved during a plenary session with a decisive vote of 175-2, along with one abstention. This followed the Assembly's decision to terminate a filibuster initiated by the PPP the previous day. The newly passed bill effectively removes the prosecution's authority to conduct direct investigations, including supplementary ones, and instead allows prosecutors to request judicial police officers to handle these investigations.
The passage of this bill is part of broader prosecution reform efforts which aim to dismantle the current prosecution structure and establish two new agencies dedicated to investigations and indictments, respectively. In response to the bill's approval, acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon announced his resignation, expressing responsibility for the changes.
The PPP has urged President Lee Jae Myung to veto the bill, citing concerns about a specific provision that eases the requirements for dismissing indictments. Jeong Jeom-sig, the party's floor leader, criticized the bill as being tailored to benefit the president, especially given his ongoing criminal trials. "He should use his veto power as he does not want it to be remembered as the 'Lee Jae Myung escape-from-prison law,'" Jeong stated during a press briefing.
Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae has expressed its respect for the parliament's decision, with Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, assuring the public that efforts will be made to implement the revised law smoothly, ensuring that the public experiences tangible changes.
Additionally, during the session, the Assembly introduced a revision to the National Assembly Act to shorten the review period for fast-tracked bills from a maximum of 330 days to 90 days. The PPP initiated a filibuster against this measure, which is scheduled to end automatically at midnight with the expiration of the July extraordinary parliamentary session. The bill is expected to be voted on at the first plenary session next month. A filibuster can be concluded after 24 hours if at least 180 lawmakers, or three-fifths of all parliament members, vote to end it.