On July 13, the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee, led by the Democratic Party, discussed a proposal to abolish supplementary investigation rights but did not reach a conclusion. Some members of the ruling party indicated plans to propose a bill that would conditionally retain these rights.
The committee's subcommittee is scheduled to hold an additional meeting on July 15, and if the retention bill is proposed, it will be discussed alongside the current proposals.
Kim Seung-won, the Democratic Party's representative on the committee, stated after the subcommittee meeting, "We focused on discussions regarding the legislative review of the criminal procedure law amendment." He urged the opposition party, the People Power Party, to participate in the discussions, emphasizing the significance of changing the criminal procedure law system for the first time in 70 years.
Kim also responded to Hong Gi-won’s announcement of plans to propose a bill to retain supplementary investigation rights, saying, "If the proposal is made, we will discuss it along with the three bills we are currently considering, should the chairperson decide to refer it directly to the committee."
Currently, the committee is reviewing three separate bills related to the amendment of the criminal procedure law. These include a joint proposal by Democratic Party member Kim Yong-min and Justice Innovation Party member Park Eun-jung, as well as a proposal by member Cha Gyu-geun, and a proposal pushed by the Democratic Party's criminal procedure law task force.
Concerns about the abolition of supplementary investigation rights have been raised recently, particularly in light of the Jang Yoon-ki case. The police had initially referred the suspect on charges of simple murder, but the prosecution uncovered a power-related cover-up through supplementary investigation rights.
Voices of concern have also emerged within the ruling party. Members Kim Nam-hee and Kim Dong-ah held a press conference, stating, "The amendment to the criminal procedure law should not worsen conditions for victims," and emphasized that a system designed from the perspective of social minorities is essential for a just process.
Go Min-jeong, a member of the National Assembly who has declared her candidacy for party leader, criticized the notion of abolishing supplementary investigation rights, saying, "While it may not align with political calculations to oppose the abolition, it is not the stance of a ruling party to abolish these rights and then address issues as they arise." She added, "The separation of investigation and prosecution is a choice to prevent unjust victims, and it should not become a matter of belief, as exceptional supplementary investigations are necessary."
Lee So-young, a former lawyer and current member of the National Assembly, warned on Facebook, "If we trivialize this significant issue as a topic for internal party competition ahead of the convention, the public will respond with serious evaluations."
The Democratic Party plans to push for the amendment of the criminal procedure law before the party convention scheduled for August 17. The Justice Innovation Party argues that the amendments must be processed before the Constitution Day to ensure the proper establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Agency as part of the ongoing prosecution reform in October. However, it appears challenging to finalize the amendments before Constitution Day, raising questions about whether the criminal procedure law amendment will pass in the National Assembly before the Democratic Party's convention.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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