The Democratic Party announced on October 3 that it will form a task force (TF) to respond to proposed amendments to the criminal procedure law, which include the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights. The party emphasized that the amendments are not aimed at President Lee Jae-myung.
Han Byeong-do, the party's acting leader and floor leader, stated at a public forum on the amendments held at the National Assembly, "The Democratic Party will ensure that the new criminal justice system takes root effectively in the field." He added, "We plan to establish a TF within the party to protect the rights of victims, who are often socially vulnerable." Kim Han-kyu, the party's chief policy officer, will lead the TF.
In response to the opposition's backlash against the proposed amendments, Han urged, "We must stop spreading baseless rumors that incite public anxiety and attempts to reverse prosecutorial reform." He criticized the opposition for mentioning the possibility of impeachment against President Lee, stating, "This is an intimidation tactic regarding the exercise of veto power."
The Democratic Party also plans to promote a system for transferring cases, prioritizing seven major crimes against socially vulnerable groups, including child abuse and sexual violence. This system would allow first investigative agencies, such as the police, to transfer cases to prosecutors for further verification.
Additionally, the party addressed concerns regarding the controversy over grounds for dismissing charges. Some have raised suspicions that the grounds for dismissal were suddenly added. However, Seo Young-kyo, chair of the Legal Affairs Committee, clarified, "This issue was already included in the proposals by Democratic Party member Kim Yong-min and Justice Party member Park Eun-jung on June 26." She warned that lawmakers who claim it was added at the last minute are acting like prosecutors and will be held accountable.
When asked if the codification of grounds for dismissal was intended to assist President Lee's trial, Kim Seung-won, the committee's secretary, stated, "As legal professionals know, the current president cannot be prosecuted while in office, and it is well understood that no trial can proceed during the four years of their term. The idea of amending this now for events four years down the line is unfathomable." He further rebutted claims that the language regarding serious illegal investigations and significant deviations in prosecutorial discretion was unclear, noting that the terms 'serious' and 'significant' appear 17 and 21 times, respectively, in the criminal procedure law and should be viewed as legal terminology.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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