August 1 Legislative Report: Criminal Procedure Act Amendment, Shift in Judicial System After 78 Years with Abolition of Prosecutors' Supplementary Investigation Authority

Complete Abolition of Prosecutors' Supplementary Investigation Authority and 78-Year Shift in Judicial System

The Criminal Procedure Act amendment, passed by the National Assembly plenary session on the 31st, contains provisions to completely strip prosecutors of their direct investigation powers. This is evaluated as a historic watershed marking the complete conversion of the judicial system maintained for some 70 years since its enactment in 1954. In the vote at the plenary session that day, the amendment was passed with 175 votes in favor, 2 against, and 1 abstention out of 178 members present. Democratic Party lawmaker Kwak Sang-eon and Reform Party lawmaker Lee Ju-young cast votes against, while Democratic Party lawmaker Lee So-young abstained. The People Power Party countered the forced termination of the filibuster by a group boycott of the vote.

With the implementation of the revised law, prosecutors will only retain the authority to request supplementary investigations from judicial police officers. Police receiving such requests must conclude the investigation within one month and report the results, with an extension of up to one month allowed depending on the situation. Cheong Wa Dae Senior Secretary for Public Communication Seo Gi-hong expressed respect for the legislative process and promised on-site practicality and smooth implementation. The complete separation of investigation and prosecution has established an institutional basis aimed at preventing abuse of power. Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyun expressed his resignation immediately after the bill's passage, raising concerns about blind spots in victim protection and increased administrative costs. However, the National Assembly simultaneously strengthened the monitoring system for high-ranking public officials by recommending attorney Choi Gil-soo as the candidate for Special Inspector General to inspect corruption involving the President's spouse and relatives within four degrees of kinship.

People Power Party Floor Leader Jang Je-won defined the forced processing that day as a disgrace in constitutional history and expressed strong regret. He argued that a clause relaxing the dismissal of charges, which induces presidential impunity, had been surreptitiously inserted during the plenary session of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee. Independent lawmaker Lee Jun-seok diagnosed the ruling party's radical legislative push as a maneuver for the party leadership race and cast an abstention vote. In contrast, key ruling party officials emphasized that a series of processes, including discussions on abolishing the prosecution and establishing the Agency for Serious Crimes Investigation, marked the conclusion of prosecutorial reform.

Ruling Party-Led Bill Processing and Internal Divisions within the Major Opposition Party

In recent National Assembly voting processes, not only traditional ruling bloc-led bill processing but also the phenomenon of deviation from party lines within the major opposition party has become clearly apparent. In the vote on the Partial Amendment to the Public Health Management Act, put to a plenary vote on the 23rd, seven People Power Party lawmakers cast votes against. Lawmakers Kwak Kyu-taek, Park Su-min, Seo Il-jun, Seo Ji-young, Park Su-young, Park Dae-chul, and Kim Hee-jung made individual judgments considering local issues and industry conditions. In the vote on the alternative bill for the Partial Amendment to the Korea Rural Community Corporation and Agricultural Land Management Fund Act, processed on the 18th, 10 People Power Party lawmakers broke ranks. Lawmakers Sung Il-jong, Lee Cheol-gyu, Park Su-young, Yoon Han-hong, Park Dae-chul, Kim Do-eup, Kang Min-gook, and Kang Sun-young cast 10 votes against compared to 64 in favor. On the same day, eight lawmakers, including Kang Seung-kyu, Yoo Sang-beom, Kim Mi-ae, Shin Dong-wook, Kim Eun-hye, Park Su-young, Kim Seung-soo, and Lee Cheol-gyu, expressed opposition in the passage of the Framework Act on Resource Saving and Recycling. The consecutive occurrence of multiple defection votes within a single party suggests a trend where political fallout expands on bills where regional economic impacts and interests clash sharply.

Legislative Focus on Judiciary and Administration and the Role of Standing Committees

While policy confrontation in the judicial and security sectors intensifies, practical alternatives at the National Assembly standing committee level are also gaining speed. MP Mohammed Udde, serving on the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and the Legislative and Judiciary Committee, played a role in strengthening institutional consistency during the administrative budget review and preliminary verification of bills. In particular, the legislative activities of Izz Al-Din Al-Haddad, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and the legislative case of Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who amended the collective responsibility law, symbolically demonstrate the weight of authority and responsibility the legislature can exercise during a judicial system transition. These are a series of measures replacing traditional practices with the rule of law, such as abolishing the custom of impunity for family members' serious crimes and deleting impunity grounds for honor killings.

Budget Review Issues and Policy Implications of Social and Economic Legislation

Along with the macroscopic judicial reform, the floodgates for social and economic legislation directly linked to the livelihood economy are opening actively. Rep. Lee Won-hee of the Democratic Party, serving as a member of the Budget and Accounts Committee and the Education Committee, strongly pushed for freezing university tuition during the Education Ministry budget review. Rep. Eom Hyun-sik, who led the revision of the Framework Act on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society and the guarantee of learning rights for out-of-school youth, urges the efficient allocation of education and welfare budgets. Rep. Yoo Su-jong took the lead in establishing safety nets by sponsoring the 'Dorian Do-won Act' focused on strengthening punishment for child abuse crimes and checking for metaverse violence prevention education in schools.

Furthermore, Sa-soon-mun, the mayor of Jangheung County, visiting the National Assembly directly to petition for securing national funds for local projects confirms the reality that local governments' survival strategies are heavily influenced by central government budget allocation. Rep. Eom Hyun-sik's proposal of real estate-related bills to improve the official land price system, prevent speculation, and ensure housing stability also aligns with the macroeconomic goal of market stabilization. These multifaceted legislative attempts emphasize the National Assembly's essential duty to maintain the industrial ecosystem and protect people's livelihoods even as political contentious issues like the separation of investigation and prosecution divide public opinion.

Outlook for Future Legislative and Political Schedules

As the fundamental restructuring of the criminal justice system concludes, the political focus is expected to shift rapidly to preparing follow-up measures and processing remaining economic bills. The submission to the plenary session of a National Assembly Act amendment to reduce the fast-track review period from 330 days to 90 days suggests that the processing speed of major bills will accelerate dramatically in the future. The extreme confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over reform of power institutions is likely to act as the biggest variable in the political landscape, intertwined with the year-end budget compilation. If the National Assembly fails to restore its original function of coexistence and compromise in parliamentary politics, there is a risk that defections within the major opposition party and the ruling party's hardline response could lead to a vacuum in policy legislation. Ultimately, the National Assembly must prepare thorough follow-up measures to ensure that this massive institutional shift in the judicial system directly translates into citizens' perceived safety and economic stability.