DPK To Allow Only Supplementary Investigation Request Authority for Public Prosecution Office...Unifying Serious Crime Investigation Agency Structure

Outcome of the Policy Caucus on the 5th
"Abolishing the Authority to Conduct Supplementary Investigations Is Symbolic"
To Be Supplemented During Implementation

The Democratic Party of Korea has adopted an official party position to grant the Public Prosecution Office only the authority to request supplementary investigations, rather than the authority to conduct supplementary investigations itself, and to unify the organizational structure of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. This differs from the view of President Lee Jaemyung and the Ministry of Justice, who argue that exceptional authority to conduct supplementary investigations is necessary. The party plans to convey this position to the government within this week.

The Democratic Party stated that it made this decision at a policy meeting of party lawmakers held on the 5th to discuss the bill to establish the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Office.

Jung Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the policy members' meeting held at the National Assembly on the 5th. 2026.2.5 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Kim Hankyu, Senior Deputy Floor Leader for Policy, met with reporters after the meeting and said, "We have decided not to recognize the authority to conduct supplementary investigations and to allow only the authority to request supplementary investigations, while leaving room to devise ways for it to function effectively in practice," adding, "There was intense debate that even without the authority to conduct supplementary investigations, it would still be possible to address any shortcomings in the investigations."

Kim explained, "Several lawmakers pointed out that if we recognize the authority to conduct supplementary investigations, it would undermine the original goal of separating the prosecution's powers of investigation and indictment. Considering the aspirations of supporters of prosecutorial reform, we decided to grant only the authority to request supplementary investigations, as this is symbolically important." He continued, "While we will grant the authority to request supplementary investigations, we have prepared an amendment so that the Public Prosecution Office can fully present its views to other investigative agencies to ensure that victims do not suffer from inadequate or delayed investigations, and so that, if those views are not followed, there will be a mechanism that in effect compels compliance."

The Democratic Party has also decided that, at least in the early stages of the reform, it will not recognize the authority to conduct supplementary investigations, even on an exceptional basis. However, it plans to adopt corrective measures if difficulties arise during implementation.

In relation to this, it was reported that the party and the presidential office have not yet exchanged views on the detailed aspects. Kim added, "Some individual lawmakers argued that we should respect the President's remarks that exceptional authority to conduct supplementary investigations is necessary, but I believed it was important that any proposed revisions to the government bill reflect only the party's position."

The party also agreed to unify the investigative structure of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. It is expected to be composed of a single investigator rank from Grade 1 to Grade 9, without the controversial position of judicial investigator. However, Kim said, "We have reached a consensus to create specific titles such as legal investigator, depending on the duties in charge."

Regarding the investigative scope of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, the party decided to reduce the nine categories in the government proposal to six. The view is to exclude three categories: major disasters, public officials, and election crimes.

On existing cybercrime investigations, the party plans to convey the view that the current scope is too broad and that the Serious Crime Investigation Agency should instead be limited to investigating attacks on national infrastructure and high-tech crimes.

On this day, the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee reportedly had one of its members deliver the committee's collective opinion. It is said that around four lawmakers spoke at the policy meeting.

The Democratic Party plans to pass the bill by early March at the latest once the government submits its revised proposal. Kim added, "Because the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency must be launched as scheduled on October 2, the deliberation process in the National Assembly will not be very long once the government bill is submitted."

Earlier, in his opening remarks at the policy meeting, Democratic Party leader Jung Cheongrae said, "The core of prosecutorial reform is the complete separation of investigation and indictment," stressing, "It is our historical mission to decentralize and democratize the prosecution's power, including its investigative and indictment authority, which has been wielded without checks for 78 years."

Jung also said, "Although the government has issued a draft for legislative notice, under the separation of powers, the final decision is ultimately made at the plenary session of the National Assembly," adding, "Therefore, the National Assembly must be at the center, and we must all share a sense of mission that the National Assembly must take the lead in completing prosecutorial reform."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.