Democratic Party moves to strip prosecutors of supplementary investigation powers

The Democratic Party of Korea has formally launched discussions on stripping prosecutors of their supplementary investigation powers, activating the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and forming a dedicated task force to revise the Criminal Procedure Act.

According to political sources, the Judiciary Committee is set to hold a plenary session on Monday, at which it plans to table around 100 bills — roughly 50 under the committee's own jurisdiction and 50 referred from other standing committees.

The committee, which began operating without the People Power Party, is now poised to move at full speed. On Wednesday, it held the first plenary session of the second half of the 22nd National Assembly, voting to appoint a floor manager and constitute the first legislative review subcommittee. Rep. Kim Seung-won, a former judge, was named the Democratic Party's floor manager on the panel.

The Democratic Party plans to take up a Criminal Procedure Act amendment to abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers at the committee. Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Seo Yeong-gyo wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that she would "faithfully review major pending bills before the committee, including Criminal Procedure Act amendments, to achieve better prosecutorial reform that more faithfully reflects the public's demands."

The committee is also expected to discuss safeguards to offset the potential side effects of abolishing the supplementary investigation powers. Seo told reporters that "when a statute of limitations is about to expire and police investigations are not proceeding properly, there is a need to check that and replace investigators — so we will put in place various mechanisms, whether a case review committee or an investigation human-rights ombudsman."

Separately from the committee, the Democratic Party decided to form a Criminal Procedure Act amendment task force to deliberate on abolishing the supplementary investigation powers. Acting leader and floor leader Han Byung-do said at a policy coordination meeting on Wednesday that the task force would "swiftly devise a plan to thoroughly fulfill the historic task of fully separating investigative and prosecutorial powers and abolishing supplementary investigation powers," adding that the party would "pool all its wisdom through intense debate and deep deliberation to produce a highly refined amendment in the shortest possible time." The task force will be organized around the floor leadership, the policy committee and the Judiciary Committee.

Voices within the Democratic Party are calling for the Criminal Procedure Act to be revised before the party convention on Aug. 17. Rep. Kim Yong-min said at Wednesday's Judiciary Committee plenary that the amendment "must be passed within July." However, a significant number of party members are cautious, noting that pushing a bill through a floor vote within roughly 40 days — with the convention fast approaching — would be no easy task.