Democratic Party tables criminal procedure act revision; PPP launches filibuster

A revision to the 'Criminal Procedure Act' transferring investigative authority from the prosecution to the police was tabled at the National Assembly plenary session, led by the Democratic Party of Korea. The People Power Party immediately launched a filibuster (unlimited debate) to block the passage of the bill.

The core of the revision is to separate investigation from indictment and exclude prosecutors from being the primary subjects of investigation. Specifically, it includes the deletion of Article 196 of the Criminal Procedure Act to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority. According to the bill, while the prosecution's investigative powers are stripped, the police are mandated to comply with a prosecutor's request for supplementary investigation within one month.

PPP Rep. Ju Ho-young, the first speaker in the filibuster, argued for approximately 1 hour and 32 minutes in a speech that began around 4:00 PM that day that 'prosecutorial reform is necessary, but stripping all powers just because the prosecution made mistakes is wrong.' Rep. Ju compared the measure to moving a fire to a location with higher flammability rather than extinguishing it due to its danger, expressing his opposition to the revision.

The Democratic Party plans to demand an end to the debate with the approval of three-fifths of incumbent members and pass the bill on the afternoon of the following day, 24 hours after the filibuster began.