The Democratic Party of Korea has adopted as its official position a bill to revise the Criminal Procedure Act, abolishing prosecutors' direct investigation and supplementary investigation powers. Reflecting concerns raised within the party over gaps in victim protection, the party decided to prepare accompanying measures, including expanding the referral of crimes against socially vulnerable groups to prosecutors and giving practical effect to prosecutors' authority to request supplementary investigations.
The Democratic Party held a policy caucus at the National Assembly on the 24th and approved the revised Criminal Procedure Act as its official position. Of the 161 sitting lawmakers, 106 attended the caucus that day, meeting the quorum. Floor spokesperson Lee Ju-hee said, "There were several suggested revisions to the Criminal Procedure Act amendment, and the party adopted it as its official position without objection, including delegating the task of finalizing these matters to the floor leader."
The core principles of the revised Criminal Procedure Act approved as the party's position can be summarized in three points: a ban on prosecutors' direct investigations, strengthened victim protection, and enhanced mutual checks among investigative agencies. Accordingly, while prosecutors' direct and supplementary investigations will not be permitted in principle, the system will be designed so that requests to correct and reinvestigate police investigations can be made through other investigative agencies, such as the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. The Democratic Party also plans to push for the establishment of a dedicated supplementary investigation unit within the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and related legal revisions.
Victim protection measures will also be significantly strengthened. The Democratic Party will require that five categories of crimes targeting socially vulnerable groups—such as sex crimes, child sex crimes, stalking, abuse of the disabled, and abuse of the elderly—be referred to prosecutors through individual laws, as with child abuse and domestic violence crimes. For these seven categories of crimes against socially vulnerable groups, the party will pursue legal revisions to allow the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency to conduct supplementary investigations.
In addition, the party will newly establish victims' right to state their opinions and prosecutors' right to hear such opinions, and will add complainants to the right to file objections currently held by accusers and victims' legal representatives. The party will also push for allowing access to investigation records for filing objections and for all investigative processes to be recorded electronically.
The special judicial police system will also be revised. Prosecutors' authority to direct investigations by the special judicial police will be abolished, but a duty of investigative cooperation between prosecutors and the special judicial police, along with the special judicial police's right to request cooperation, will be newly established. This opens the way for the special judicial police to seek prosecutors' opinions on questions of guilt or innocence and the application of law in cases they investigate.
Based on the results of the caucus that day, the Democratic Party plans to complete the drafting of provisions in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, then proceed to a plenary session vote after going through the bill review subcommittee and full committee meetings next week. However, the plenary session schedule will be finalized after consultations between the ruling and opposition parties and with the National Assembly Speaker.
Kim Han-kyu, the Democratic Party's deputy floor leader for policy, said, "I expect it will be sorted out around Monday, the 27th, after discussions in the bill review subcommittee." He added, "The current plan is to hold a full Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting sometime next week after the subcommittee passes it." He continued, "Since the plenary session schedule requires consultation among the ruling and opposition parties and the National Assembly Speaker, it is too early at this stage to state a definite timing for the vote."
