The bill to revise the court organization law, centered on the establishment of a 'specialized court for maritime cases,' passed the subcommittee of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly on the 25th with an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. The parties agreed to hold a public hearing on the four laws for prosecutorial reform, which include the abolition of the prosecution office, the establishment of a serious crime investigation agency and an appellate prosecution agency, and a national investigation commission, on the 28th.

Kim Yong-min, the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's first subcommittee on bill examination, is banging the gavel at the 2nd Bill Examination First Subcommittee of the 427th National Assembly (Extraordinary Session) held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 25th. /News1

Kim Yong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and the chair of the bill review subcommittee, said after a meeting at the National Assembly on the same day that 'the ruling and opposition parties have reached a consensus on the establishment of a maritime court' and added, 'We focused on establishing main offices in Incheon and Busan based on the proposal from Democratic Party of Korea member Park Chan-dae.'

Kim noted, 'There were concerns about whether having two courts would be burdensome given that there haven't been many cases solely related to maritime matters' and said, 'If we expand the scope to include civil, administrative, and international commercial disputes, we will have enough cases to justify the establishment of a specialized court.'

He added, 'I requested that the court and the specialists come up with alternatives within two weeks' and noted, 'We plan to hold a subcommittee meeting to report on the alternatives in about two weeks.'

Kim predicted that if the bill is passed, it would take about 3 to 4 years to secure the site and construct the maritime court building.

Regarding the four laws on prosecutorial reform, he mentioned, 'There has been a broad overview and discussion, and we plan to have ample time for discussion after the public hearing next Monday.'

Kim indicated, 'The People Power Party expresses opposition to the four laws on prosecutorial reform, but on the other hand, they are saying that they do not oppose the separation of the prosecution's investigation and indictment, but rather see it as necessary' and added, 'Discussions on the specifics will take place.'

He continued, 'From now on, we decided to select key issues for discussion.'

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.