The Democratic Party of Korea discussed measures to address public distrust regarding the new criminal justice system set to launch next month. This comes as the reform aimed at abolishing the prosecution's supplementary investigative powers nears completion, with the goal of swiftly preparing a police reform plan to minimize confusion.
The party's Police Reform Task Force held a meeting with criminal defense attorneys at the National Assembly. Co-chair Lee Hae-sik emphasized the need for democratic oversight of police powers if the abolition of supplementary investigative rights strengthens police authority.
Co-chair Kim Nam-hee also stressed the necessity for structural reforms within the police. He stated, "There needs to be a process for victims to easily access investigative information," indicating a priority on victim-centered responses. Attorneys present at the meeting echoed concerns about public distrust stemming from cases like the Jang Yoon-ki incident and the Jeju missing persons case, asserting that police investigations should be conducted from the victims' perspective.
With the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Service scheduled for October 2, the task force appears to have initiated a formal process for gathering opinions on the police reform proposal during this meeting. As follow-up legislation on prosecution reform accelerates, there is a plan to quickly unveil the police reform proposal to minimize confusion. However, a specific timeline for the announcement of the police reform plan has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has indicated that under the leadership of Kim Min-seok, it aims for a level of police reform that surpasses that of prosecution reform. On September 1, Kim officially launched the task force, vowing to eradicate six major issues: case concealment, favoritism, unwarranted case closures, evidence concealment and manipulation, leakage of investigative information, and violations of personal privacy. During a high-level party meeting on September 13, he reiterated that the current police reform process has been tepid and passive, calling for a more robust reform effort.
The party's Police Reform Task Force held a meeting with criminal defense attorneys at the National Assembly. Co-chair Lee Hae-sik emphasized the need for democratic oversight of police powers if the abolition of supplementary investigative rights strengthens police authority.
Co-chair Kim Nam-hee also stressed the necessity for structural reforms within the police. He stated, "There needs to be a process for victims to easily access investigative information," indicating a priority on victim-centered responses. Attorneys present at the meeting echoed concerns about public distrust stemming from cases like the Jang Yoon-ki incident and the Jeju missing persons case, asserting that police investigations should be conducted from the victims' perspective.
With the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Service scheduled for October 2, the task force appears to have initiated a formal process for gathering opinions on the police reform proposal during this meeting. As follow-up legislation on prosecution reform accelerates, there is a plan to quickly unveil the police reform proposal to minimize confusion. However, a specific timeline for the announcement of the police reform plan has yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has indicated that under the leadership of Kim Min-seok, it aims for a level of police reform that surpasses that of prosecution reform. On September 1, Kim officially launched the task force, vowing to eradicate six major issues: case concealment, favoritism, unwarranted case closures, evidence concealment and manipulation, leakage of investigative information, and violations of personal privacy. During a high-level party meeting on September 13, he reiterated that the current police reform process has been tepid and passive, calling for a more robust reform effort.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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