Democratic Party Moves to Completely Abolish Supplementary Investigation Authority... "Discussion at the General Assembly on the 24th"

Byungdo Han: "It Is Time to Put an End to Debates and Deliberations"

Calls for Police to Launch Task Force to Root Out Internal Corruption and Establish Democratic Oversight

The Democratic Party of Korea has decided to move toward the complete abolition of the prosecution’s supplementary investigation authority and is pushing for swift legislation. There is speculation that the revision of the Criminal Procedure Act could be processed as early as next week.

Byungdo Han, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated at the policy coordination meeting on July 23, 2026, "It is now time to put an end to the intense debates and deliberations regarding the Criminal Procedure Act." Regarding the direction of the revision, he said, "The Democratic Party and the Lee Jaemyung administration uphold the fundamental principle of prosecutorial reform, which is the complete separation of investigation and indictment," stressing, "Neither the President nor the Democratic Party has retreated or wavered from this principle."

On the previous day, Acting Leader Han addressed claims at the Supreme Council meeting, such as leaving exceptions for supplementary investigative authority to protect vulnerable groups, by asserting, "Victim protection should not be left to the goodwill or discretion of any particular institution."

On this matter, Acting Leader Han proposed solutions such as rooting out internal corruption within the police and establishing democratic oversight. He continued, "(The police) should promptly launch the Investigation Reform Task Force (TF), with external experts making up the majority, and present an effective reform plan that includes measures to prevent collusion, address internal corruption, handle cases involving vulnerable groups, and strengthen external oversight."

Byungho Han, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the policy coordination meeting held at the National Assembly on July 23, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Previously, Acting Leader Han had outlined measures regarding the revision of the Criminal Procedure Act, including the substantiation of the right to request supplementary investigations, the prevention of investigative delays, the replacement of investigators in charge of inadequate investigations, mutual checks between the police and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, and the strengthening of investigative review and external audits.

The Democratic Party plans to hold a general assembly of its lawmakers on July 24 to collect opinions. Seo Young-kyo, Chair of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Democratic Party), appeared on Mr. Kim Eo-jun’s YouTube program that day and remarked, "You can think of it as the process of finalizing the party’s official position." Within the party, there are expectations that the issue could be wrapped up before August.

At the committee level, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee has also signaled a fast-track approach to reviewing the Criminal Procedure Act. Due to agreements on the formation of committees, lawmakers from the People Power Party are joining the review process later than others, but the Democrats have made it clear that while joint discussion is possible, further delays cannot be accepted. Kim Seungwon, the Democratic Party’s secretary on the committee, said after completing the bill review the previous day, "Upon checking, it appears that the People Power Party’s relevant policy departments, policy committee staff, and parliamentary aides are joining the review in turn," adding, "There should be no excuses about not knowing."

However, there are differing opinions within the party regarding the supplementary investigation authority. Hong Giwon, a Democratic Party lawmaker who had proposed a bill to retain the authority as an exception for crimes involving vulnerable groups, recently hosted a forum titled ‘Desirable Direction for Amending the Criminal Procedure Act from the Perspective of Crime Victims.’ Assemblyman Hong emphasized, "Reform should not merely strip power from politically motivated prosecutors who have wielded unchecked authority, but must be intricately designed to provide greater protection for the public and crime victims."

Meanwhile, Acting Leader Han raised concerns about some bills passing the Legislation and Judiciary Committee but not reaching the plenary session. He stated, "Next week, at the Operations Committee meeting, I believe the People Power Party, by ignoring proper procedures and obstructing livelihood bills, is making it necessary to amend the National Assembly Act so parliament can properly do its work," pledging, "We will take extraordinary measures to create a parliament that works."

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