National Assembly passes another bill to complete 'prosecution reform'
Lawmakers attend a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul, May 3. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea passed another bill to complete its “prosecution reform,” only a week before incoming President Yonn Suk-yeol takes office. Yonhap
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) railroaded the last-remaining bill on prosecution reform through the National Assembly amid opposition protest Tuesday, completing its push to reduce and ultimately remove the prosecution's investigative powers.
The revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, the remaining half of the ruling DP's prosecution reform legislation, was passed in a 164-3 vote, with seven abstentions during a parliamentary plenary session. The revision calls for limiting the scope of the prosecution's supplementary investigations.
The move follows Saturday's passage of the revision to the Prosecutors' Office Act that reduces the prosecution's investigative powers to only two types of crime ― corruption and economic ― from the current six, before removing them completely.
The DPK, which holds 171 out of 300 seats, has been trying to pass the two bills and have them signed into law before the May 10 inauguration of President-elect Yoon.
The revisions are expected to be promulgated at a Cabinet meeting of the outgoing Moon Jae-in administration later in the day.
The Cabinet meeting was originally scheduled for 10 a.m., the same time the plenary session opened, but was pushed back.
The rival parties have been wrangling for weeks over the bills as the DPK has insisted they are necessary to ensure the prosecution does not abuse its investigative powers for political purposes, while the PPP has countered they will leave the people with fewer means to seek justice for crimes.
The two sides reached a compromise deal under which the prosecution's investigative powers would be reduced from six crime types to two before being removed completely, but the PPP backtracked following criticism that lawmakers were colluding to shield themselves from prosecution investigations as the agreement calls for stripping the prosecution of its right to investigate election crimes.
PPP lawmakers plan to stand outside Cheong Wa Dae for a third day Tuesday, displaying signs demanding Moon's veto of the legislation. (Yonhap)