Ex-prosecutors Han Dong-hoon, Lee Geon-tae to face off in live debate on investigative powers

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Geon-tae will hold a public debate over the proposed abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers.

Han announced on his Facebook page Friday that the two would debate "the controversy over abolishing supplementary investigations, as triggered by the Jang Yun-gi case and others" on JTBC at 5 p.m. next Thursday. Lee will argue in favor of abolition, while Han will argue against it.

"We will have a productive debate for the people," Han wrote, adding that he was "grateful to Rep. Lee for accepting the debate on behalf of the Democratic Party."

The exchange comes as the ruling and opposition parties have been locked in fierce dispute over supplementary investigative powers, with two former prosecutors now set to represent opposing camps.

Han, who has consistently opposed abolition, proposed the debate Thursday, writing on Facebook that "some within the Democratic Party have been responding only with emotional pushback" to his arguments. "Let us debate openly before the public why supplementary investigative powers are necessary and why abolishing them would go against the interests of the people," he wrote.

Lee, also a former prosecutor, accepted the same day, writing on Facebook: "Let us debate — me, someone who spent 20 years as a prosecutor and directly experienced the reality of politically motivated prosecution as defense counsel in President Lee Jae-myung's Daejang-dong case."

Lee, who recently entered the race for a seat on the Democratic Party's supreme council, added that he would "explain one by one, before the eyes of the public, why abolishing supplementary investigative powers is necessary and why prosecutors must not be allowed to hold investigative authority."