The People Power Party criticized the ruling party's 'four laws for the dismantlement of the prosecution', aimed at abolishing the prosecution office and establishing the Public Prosecution Service, the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, and the National Investigative Commission, saying it was 'an act of unprecedented aggression' hard to find elsewhere on earth and urged reconsideration of the legislation. With no appropriate means for lending resistance available, this is interpreted as an early move to engage in public opinion warfare against the ruling party's legislative attempts.
Kim Yong-tae, chair of the People Power Party's emergency response committee, criticized the so-called 'four laws for the dismantlement of the prosecution' at a seminar titled 'Abolition of the Prosecution Service and Issues of Separation of Investigation and Prosecution', co-hosted by the party's members of the judiciary committee in the National Assembly on that day, stating, 'All these attempts converge into one, shaking the foundation of the criminal justice system and crafting a tailored judicial structure for power, disguised as legislation.'
Song Eon-seok, who was inaugurated as the floor leader the previous day, also criticized it, saying, 'The notion of abolishing this by law is essentially a disregard for the constitution and an act of unprecedented aggression hard to find elsewhere on earth.'
He continued, 'The declaration to abolish the prosecution, where prosecutors gather, is tantamount to eliminating public interest and stating that they will not protect the people,' urging, 'The government must reconsider, and the Democratic Party of Korea, which has an absolute majority, must rethink this matter.'
Rep. Cho Bae-sook, who presided over the seminar, pointed out, 'The criminal justice system is a matter concerning the state's function to protect citizens from crime and realize criminal justice, so if it is to be changed, prosecutors, courts, bar associations, and civic groups must come together to discuss and study the issues; it was concluded in a short period of time.'
He added, 'To abolish by law the organization to which prosecutors and the attorney general, who hold constitutional status, are practically affiliated and leave only the name to transfer it to an irrelevant organization is an act that mocks the constitution.'
Rep. Cho also stated, 'Using legislative power for political purposes is unacceptable,' claiming, 'There is an emotional retaliation concerning the investigation of President Lee Jae-myung.' He emphasized, 'While there have been victims from the past political prosecution, trying to dismantle the entire criminal justice system is extremely dangerous.'
While doing so, he appealed to the public to support the blocking of the legislation, saying, 'There are limits to resisting the huge majority ruling party.'
Earlier, Democratic Party members, including Kim Yong-min, Kang Jun-hyun, Min Hyung-bae, Jang Kyung-tae, and Kim Moon-soo, introduced four bills aimed at abolishing the prosecution office and establishing the Public Prosecution Service, the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, and the National Investigative Commission on the 11th. The content includes abolishing the prosecution office, granting the power to prosecute to the newly established Public Prosecution Service under the Ministry of Justice, and assigning investigative powers to the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, which will be established under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Furthermore, it contains provisions for establishing the National Investigative Commission under the Prime Minister to oversee the coordination and supervision of these investigative agencies' duties.
The lawmakers leading the bill stated their position to process it within three months. Recently inaugurated Democratic Party floor leader Kim Byung-ki also announced, 'From now on, the next six months are the golden time for reform,' promising to address the reform tasks of the prosecution and judicial system quickly and decisively.
For the People Power Party, there are virtually no means to counter this aside from public opinion warfare. The 'filibuster' to block the legislation can end if more than three-fifths of the seated members agree within 24 hours, making it limited.