Concerns Spread Within the Ruling Party Over the Abolition of Prosecutors’ Supplementary Investigation Authority

At the Democratic Party caucus, concerns were raised about a plan to completely abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority. At the caucus held at the National Assembly on the 14th, various opinions within the party were expressed regarding the revision of the Criminal Procedure Act, and the leadership decided to continue further discussions. Floor spokesperson Lee Joohee explained that the Democratic Party has entered a deliberation stage to improve the completeness of the revision bill in order to reduce potential side effects that may arise during the prosecution reform process. The party said it is also listening to the views of civic groups, victim support organizations, legal professionals, and academia. At the caucus, opinions clashed between those saying the supplementary investigation authority should be retained, even if only exceptionally, and those insisting that full abolition should be maintained. The Democratic Party plans to hold a policy caucus as early as next week to continue the related discussions.