The ruling and opposition parties have expressed conflicting views on the ongoing debate regarding the abolition of supplementary investigation authority triggered by the Jang Yoon-ki case. The Democratic Party of Korea maintains that "the case and the system are separate," while the People Power Party argues that it has revealed the "true face of the police."
On July 13, members of the Democratic Party's National Assembly Committee on the Interior and Safety, including Kim Young-jin, Lee Hae-sik, Park Joo-min, Lim Ho-sun, Lee Sang-sik, Chae Hyun-il, and Lee Kwang-hee, held a press conference at the National Assembly. They stated, "We must hold accountable those involved in the Jang Yoon-ki case, regardless of their status, through thorough and impartial investigations."
However, Kim Young-jin, the committee chair, noted that discussing the issue of supplementary investigation authority in relation to the Jang Yoon-ki case does not significantly aid in uncovering the substantive truth. He emphasized the need for the People Power Party to return to the committee and conduct normal meetings to investigate the case, asserting, "It is time to officially discuss the assembly formation after having endured long enough."
He also criticized People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk for visiting the Gwangju Police Agency and the National Police Agency without prior scheduling, calling it a form of self-serving politics. He urged Jang to stop using the incident to prolong his political career and instead cooperate by officially inviting police officials to the National Assembly to clarify the truth.
In contrast, during a Supreme Council meeting held the same day, Jang Dong-hyuk described the abolition of supplementary investigation authority as a preview of how absolute power could be abused. He accused the Democratic Party of attempting to create a "monster police" and claimed that they seek to expand power while eliminating checks and balances, a concern echoed even within the progressive legal community.
Jang emphasized that the People Power Party will ensure that police power does not dominate over the people and will protect the judicial system to safeguard the rights of wronged citizens.
The Jang Yoon-ki case involves the police referring a suspect for simple murder charges, while the prosecution uncovered a power-related cover-up through supplementary investigation authority. This has drawn attention amid the ruling party's push to abolish such authority. The Legislative and Judiciary Committee is set to begin a combined review of bills related to the abolition of supplementary investigation authority, led by the Democratic Party.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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