The revisions to relevant laws were approved by a vote of 175 in favor, two against and one abstention among the 178 lawmakers present.
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP), which had launched an unlimited filibuster the previous day in protest of the bill, did not participate in the vote.
Under the revised bill, prosecutors will no longer have the authority to directly investigate criminal cases, as investigative and prosecutorial powers are separated. They will also lose their power to conduct supplementary investigations and directly request warrants.
The DP also added new grounds for courts to dismiss indictments without determining whether a defendant is guilty or not. Courts can already dismiss indictments in cases with serious procedural flaws, but the revision adds vague new provisions such as "seriously illegal investigations" and "abuse of prosecutorial discretion."
The changes have drawn criticism from the PPP, which claims the move was made with President Lee Jae Myung's pending legal cases in mind. Lee faced several legal cases before taking office, but the trials were put on hold until after his term ends.
Following the passage of the bill, the PPP urged Lee to exercise his veto power and refer the bill back to parliament for further deliberation.
PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig said the bill was less a law than a "political backroom deal" between the president and DP lawmakers aimed at dismantling the prosecution service, vowing that the party would take all available measures to block what he called a "wrongful act."
The bill is part of the DP's broader push for judicial reform aimed at separating the roles of investigators and prosecutors, but critics argue that stripping prosecutors of their investigative powers could undermine efforts to uncover corruption and major crimes.
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