Jang Dong-hyeok warns abolishing supplementary investigative powers will 'ultimately abolish this government'

With the Democratic Party of Korea pressing ahead with amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act to abolish supplementary investigative powers and to the National Assembly Act to shorten the fast-track review period, the People Power Party has vowed to use filibusters and every available procedural tool to block the legislation. The Democratic Party, wielding more than 180 seats across the ruling bloc, has signaled it will counter by shortening the July extraordinary session, setting the stage for an intense parliamentary battle over passage of the key bills.

Rep. Seo Yeong-gyo of the Democratic Party, who chairs the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, appeared on SBS Radio on Wednesday and described the Criminal Procedure Act amendment as a bill that "strengthens protections for victims, settles the shameful history of prosecutors, and establishes mutual cooperation and checks so that investigations can be conducted more effectively."

The Legislation and Judiciary Committee convened a full session Wednesday to vote on the Criminal Procedure Act amendment, which the ruling party had pushed through the first legislative subcommittee on Tuesday.

People Power Party members of the committee boycotted Tuesday's subcommittee vote and held a press conference Wednesday morning, denouncing what they called "legislative tyranny by the Democratic Party in recklessly pushing ahead with the abolition of supplementary investigative powers, which would tear down the last judicial safety net for the people."

The Democratic Party also plans to pass a National Assembly Act amendment at Thursday's scheduled plenary session that would shorten the maximum fast-track review period from 330 days to 90 days.

The Assembly's Steering Committee advanced the bill through its subcommittee on Tuesday and placed it on the agenda for Wednesday's full committee meeting. Han Byung-do, the Democratic Party's acting leader and floor leader, said at a Supreme Council meeting Wednesday that the amendment was intended "to correct the contradiction of bills taking nearly a year to process and to reform a system that has already lost its utility, bringing it in line with its original purpose."

The People Power Party plans to respond with a filibuster. The party accepted sign-ups from lawmakers wishing to participate on Tuesday and notified members to remain on standby within the Assembly grounds through midnight Friday.

The Democratic Party is considering shortening the July extraordinary session — currently scheduled to run through Aug. 4 — to Friday in order to end the filibuster. The move is seen as taking into account the Democratic Party's national convention regional primary schedule, which begins Saturday.

Amid the standoff, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok held a press conference Wednesday on the pending issues, saying the Democratic Party should "pass the special prosecutor act targeting the National Election Commission first, rather than pushing through the Criminal Procedure Act to abolish supplementary investigative powers." He warned that "if the Democratic Party abolishes supplementary investigative powers without passing the special prosecutor act, this government will ultimately be abolished."

By Joo So-hyun and Yoon Chae-young