July 10 Legislative Report: Democratic Party Pushes for Complete Separation of Prosecutorial Investigative Power and NEC Special Counsel Bill

Key National Assembly Legislative Trends and Status of Controversial Bills

As the October 2 deadline approaches for the abolition of the prosecution and the launch of the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Office, the Democratic Party is accelerating legislation for the reform of the criminal justice system. On the 9th, at the National Assembly, a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act to completely abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority was proposed as a party platform. Simultaneously, a special counsel bill for the National Election Commission (NEC) was submitted to investigate the shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections. Despite the deadlock in negotiations over the composition of the National Assembly standing committees, political circles are pouring out their respective legislative agendas to build political leverage.

Complete Separation of Prosecutorial Investigation Power and Introduction of NEC Special Counsel Bill

Rep. Kim Han-kyu, deputy policy chief of the Democratic Party, and members of the party's Criminal Procedure Act revision task force submitted the bill on this day, effectively blocking any possibility of supplementary investigations by prosecutors. Instead, they established a control measure mandating that police must complete the investigation within one month if the Public Prosecutor's Office requests a supplementary investigation. Cheon Jun-ho, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, explained that the core of the NEC special counsel is fairness, which is why the bill specifies three third-party organizations as the recommenders of the special counsel. The attempt to exclude political party recommendations and entrust the recommendation authority to external bodies like the Korean Bar Association is drawing backlash from the opposition party. The People Power Party is insisting on a party recommendation method and expressing reluctance to cooperate with the passage of the special counsel bill.

The revision of the Wage Act, which has faced strong opposition from the labor community, has also taken center stage in discussions. The revision of the Labor Standards Act, proposed by Rep. Park Min-kyu, allows for a portion of wages to be paid in local currency, such as "Love Your Community" gift certificates, provided the worker consents. The aim is to induce a virtuous cycle of local consumption of performance-based pay. However, the Korean Confederation Trade Unions (KCTU) has demanded immediate withdrawal, arguing that it undermines the principle of currency payment for wages and erodes real wages. With the labor sector's opposition intensifying, the passage of the bill has become uncertain.

Intra-Party Defections in Votes on Korea Rural Community Corporation Act and Resource Recycling Act

During the ruling party's legislative process, internal disagreements have become increasingly visible. In the plenary session vote last June, a group of lawmakers from the People Power Party broke from the party line. In the vote on the Partial Amendment to the Korea Rural Community Corporation and Agricultural Land Management Fund Act, 10 PPP lawmakers cast "no" votes. The dissenting votes, including those from Reps. Kim Do-eup, Park Dae-chul, Yoon Han-hong, and Sung Il-jong, clearly demonstrate the limitations of maintaining a unified party stance.

Eight dissenting votes also appeared in the revision of the Framework Act on Resource Circulation. Reps. Kang Seung-kyu, Kim Eun-hye, Park Su-young, and Lee Chul-kyu joined the opposition. The phenomenon of around 10 lawmakers expressing opposition to specific bills is likely to act as a variable in the future passage of bills. The lack of internal opinion gathering and integration mechanisms within the main opposition party is directly impacting the voting results.

Major Legislative Activities by Lawmaker and Policy Implications

Lawmakers across various standing committees are actively proposing bills on specific issues. Rep. Kim Kyung-hee of the Education Committee, along with Rep. Lee Hyung-suk, is pushing for a revision to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to原则上 ban private tutoring for lower elementary school students. Citing the regulation of private education costs and the normalization of public education, this bill is expected to induce structural changes across the education market. Rep. Hong Seong-joo of the Rebuilding Korea Party participated in related legislative revisions to investigate the operational status of local child care centers, strengthening the foundation for child welfare to guarantee children's right to know.

In the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee activities, fine dust issues continue to be addressed as a legislative task. Rep. Cho Yong-won has led environmental regulation-related legislation based on his experience in enacting the "Asbestos Damage Relief Act." Rep. Hong Young-pyo's statement that eco-friendly energy investment accounts for 75% of global energy investment could serve as a basis for expanding investment in renewable energy-related industries. The current situation, where numerous bills are being proposed simultaneously, foreshadows widespread regulatory and investment environment changes for the industry. Companies appear to need to establish risk management strategies to respond to changes in wage systems, adjustments to investigative powers, and shifts in education and environmental regulations.