The Legislative Committee's subcommittee on the Criminal Procedure Act approved a bill aimed at abolishing supplementary investigation rights for prosecutors on July 28. The bill is expected to be discussed in a full committee meeting on July 29 and presented at a plenary session on July 30. Members of the People Power Party walked out during the meeting in protest.
Kim Seung-won, the Democratic Party's subcommittee chair, spoke to reporters after the session, stating, "The Criminal Procedure Act has been passed after 70 years. Investigations will be conducted more responsibly while providing better protection for victims." He added, "The key is to ensure that prosecution decisions are made more fairly." Reports indicate that the bill has not significantly deviated from the Democratic Party's original proposal.
In contrast, Park Hyung-soo, a member of the People Power Party, expressed his frustration after leaving the meeting, saying, "The Democratic Party organized everything according to their own agenda, and none of our suggestions were incorporated. They created provisions based solely on their claims. We should have been given time to discuss and review, but they proceeded without any consideration, making it pointless to continue the meeting."
Additionally, the special prosecutor law regarding the Election Commission is now pending only the agreement of the leadership from both parties. Currently, there are differing opinions between the two parties regarding the scope of the investigation.
The Democratic Party, along with its allies, plans to process both the Criminal Procedure Act amendment and the special prosecutor law within this week. However, as the Democratic Party is set to hold a regional primary in the Chungcheong area on August 1, there is speculation that they may prioritize the Criminal Procedure Act amendment first. The Democratic Party has stated that if the People Power Party attempts a filibuster, they will initiate closure procedures according to parliamentary rules and push for the bill's passage.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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