PPP Protests Judiciary Committee Meeting... "Stop Abolishing Supplementary Investigation Authority and Resume Leadership Negotiations"

People Power Party Protests Democratic Party-led Committee Meeting
"Without Supplementary Investigation Authority, It Becomes a Runaway Train"

The People Power Party visited the Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting room in protest, criticizing the Democratic Party of Korea for unilaterally holding the committee meeting and pushing for amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act that would abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority. During this process, there were loud arguments among lawmakers, resulting in commotion.

Members of the People Power Party, including Kim Seungsoo, Senior Deputy Floor Leader, are condemning the Democratic Party of Korea in front of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting room, where the full committee meeting is scheduled on the 8th, regarding the reorganization of the National Assembly in the second half. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the afternoon of July 8, Kim Seungsoo, Senior Deputy Floor Leader of the People Power Party, together with Kim Mi-ae, Senior Deputy Policy Floor Leader, the party's deputy floor leaders, and other party lawmakers, visited the Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting room at the National Assembly. This was a protest visit after the Democratic Party of Korea convened a full committee meeting on its own to review the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that includes the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority.

Kim, the Senior Deputy Floor Leader, criticized, "With the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and the Standing Committee Chairs all being controlled by the Democratic Party of Korea, it is essentially a declaration that the National Assembly will be turned not into a representative body of the people, but into a shield for the Lee Jaemyung administration."

He further stated, "The way the National Assembly is being organized while ignoring both the parliament and the people is not simply an issue of parliamentary operations," expressing concern that, "This could become the starting point for the breakdown of the rule of law in the Republic of Korea." He added, "What is even more serious is that the Democratic Party of Korea and President Lee are attempting to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority."

Kim pointed out, "As seen in the Jang Yoon-gi case, an investigative agency without the authority for supplementary investigation is like a runaway train without brakes. An investigation missed once, a truth ignored once, a victim forgotten once—these cannot ever be restored, and the damage will ultimately be borne by the people."

He went on to say, "If the supplementary investigation authority is abolished, who can guarantee that a second or third Jang Yoon-gi case will not occur? Who will ensure the safety of the public, and who will relieve the victims' sense of injustice? Who will take responsibility for the investigative gaps?"

He then issued a stern warning, saying, "I clearly warn the Lee Jaemyung administration and the Democratic Party of Korea: Do not threaten the people. Do not intimidate the opposition parties. Do not turn the National Assembly into a shield for those in power." He continued, "The Legislation and Judiciary Committee must be normalized. The opposition's checks and balances must be acknowledged, and I urge you to engage in good faith in negotiations on the composition of the National Assembly."

On this day, the People Power Party tried to enter the Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting room and the Committee Chair's office, but when the doors did not open, they raised their voices, shouting, "Open the door" and "Are you not even going to let committee members in?" Afterward, committee members went into the meeting room to protest to Committee Chair Seo Young-gyo, while other lawmakers continued to chant protest slogans outside the meeting room.

The full committee meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee subsequently proceeded under the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea.

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