National Assembly set to vote Friday on bill stripping prosecutors of supplementary investigation powers

A Democratic Party of Korea-led amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that would completely abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers is heading toward a decisive vote Friday.

The Democratic Party plans to force a plenary vote on the bill Friday afternoon. The amendment was drafted as a follow-up measure to the Public Prosecution Office Act and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Act, both set to take effect Oct. 2.

The Democratic Party says the core of the bill is the complete separation of investigation and indictment — stripping prosecutors of all direct investigative authority, including supplementary investigation powers. However, the bill also spells out the scope of prosecutors' right to request supplementary investigations, requiring police who receive such requests to complete their investigation within two months and submit the results to prosecutors.

In addition, the bill mandates that all police investigation records be logged in the Criminal Justice Information System (KICS), and allows complainants to appeal police decisions not to refer a case for prosecution.

Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Friday morning that the amendment would transform a criminal justice system that had been prosecutor-centered for more than 70 years into one that is "of the people, by the people, and for the people." He said the party would hold a public briefing Monday to explain in detail what would change and what follow-up measures would be pursued.

Han said there must be no gaps in the protection of citizens' rights or investigative vacuums during the transition to the new system, and added that the party would establish an internal body to strengthen the rights of crime victims, particularly those from vulnerable groups in society.

The People Power Party, which opposes the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers, held a rally denouncing the ruling party at Rotunda Hall in the National Assembly on Thursday, then launched a filibuster immediately after the bill was placed on the plenary agenda.

PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik said at the rally that the ruling party should be willing to listen when the opposition raises concerns, but instead was pushing the bill through even more recklessly whenever criticism was voiced. "They are running the country like a fool who locks the barn after the horse has bolted," he said.

Jeong warned that if the bill passes the plenary, President Lee Jae-myung must exercise his veto. "All responsibility for the consequences of this amendment falls on this administration," he said.

The Democratic Party submitted a motion to end the filibuster and plans to close debate and proceed to a vote around 4 p.m. Friday — 24 hours after the filibuster began — with the support of the broader pro-government bloc.

The Democratic Party also plans to put to a vote a National Assembly Act amendment that would shorten the maximum fast-track review period from 330 days to 90 days. The People Power Party has signaled it will filibuster that bill as well.

However, the July extraordinary session ends at midnight Friday, at which point any ongoing filibuster will automatically expire. The National Assembly Act amendment is therefore expected to be put to a vote at the first plenary session of the August extraordinary session.