The Democratic Party of Korea will introduce a Criminal Procedure Act amendment on the 9th centered on abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority, even as concerns grow over shoddy and downscaled police investigations following the murder of a female high school student in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. In response to concerns inside and outside the party, the Democratic Party says it will maintain its policy of abolishing the supplementary investigation authority while supplementing the bill by making the right to request supplementary investigations more effective in practice.
Kim Han-kyu, the Democratic Party's senior deputy floor leader for policy, told reporters after a policy coordination meeting that day, "The Criminal Procedure Act revision task force has held numerous internal meetings. We will hold the final meeting at 2 p.m. (today) to finalize the Criminal Procedure Act amendment and plan to introduce it today if possible."
He added, "With the 'Jang Yun-gi case,' many questions have been raised about the need for supplementary investigation authority, and people ask whether the Democratic Party's policy of abolishing the supplementary investigation authority still stands. The party's policy of abolition has not changed." He continued, "Our position is that we are basically considering ways to make the right to request supplementary investigations effective in practice, and to further review and reflect in the bill measures on objections by complainants and victims and human rights protection issues."
"Supplementary investigation authority does not necessarily seem to be the only solution," Kim said. "We are thinking of ways to make it work in practice so that prosecutors identify problems through requests for supplementary investigation and police have no choice but to comply with those requests. I think it is more important not to assign cases to interested parties or to investigation teams from which a fair investigation cannot be expected."
The amendment will be introduced as the party's Criminal Procedure Act revision task force bill. "You can consider it a TF bill, and it will be introduced in the name of the floor leadership," Kim said. "Rep. Park Sang-hyuk, myself from the floor leadership, Rep. Lee Hae-sik of the Public Administration and Security Committee, and Rep. Kim Seung-won, the ranking secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, are discussing this together," he said. "It is not an individual opinion but reflects the views of the relevant standing committees, and several lawmakers have individually offered opinions and expressed concerns, which we are trying to reflect as much as possible." Whether it will become an official party line will be decided later.
On the timing of the bill's passage, he said, "A subcommittee review of the Criminal Procedure Act amendment is scheduled starting tomorrow. I don't think we are in a position to pinpoint the exact timing of passage." He added, "Yesterday, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee said it would meet twice a week if necessary for swift review, and since the Criminal Procedure Act is one of the important bills, we plan to review it quickly."
Regarding the matter, floor spokesperson Lee Ju-hee added, "The floor leadership reiterates that we will prepare thorough alternatives regarding the various side effects that could emerge after the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority and the recent situations the public is concerned about, and that we will deliberate swiftly but sufficiently."
