A promulgation plan for a bill revising the special prosecutor act to extend by 30 days the investigation periods for the three major special prosecutors—insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and Sergeant Chae—and to increase their staffing passed the Cabinet meeting on the 23rd.
The government on the morning of the day submitted and approved an agenda item to promulgate each of the three special prosecutor act revisions as law at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.
Under the revision, the investigation period for the three special prosecutors can be extended by 30 days each. Currently, the insurrection and Kim Keon-hee special prosecutors have 90 days for investigation (excluding a 20-day preparation period), and the Sergeant Chae special prosecutor has 60 days; with the change, the insurrection and Kim Keon-hee probes can run up to 180 days, and the Sergeant Chae probe up to 150 days. Accordingly, the three special prosecutors are expected to operate through as late as December.
The number of prosecutors dispatched to the three special prosecutors will also increase from 120 to 170. Related trials should be broadcast unless there are special circumstances when requested by the special prosecutor or the defendant.
The revision passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 12th. On the 11th, the Democratic Party floor leadership agreed to accept a modified special prosecutor bill that would not extend the three special prosecutors' periods and would minimize staffing increases, while the People Power Party floor leadership agreed to cooperate with a government reorganization. However, backlash from hardline Democratic Party supporters and public opposition from Chair Jeong Cheong-rae led to the agreement being scrapped after 14 hours.
Afterward, with People Power Party lawmakers having walked out, the Democratic Party passed the three special prosecutor act revisions in their original form.
The promulgation plan for the three special prosecutor act revisions that passed the Cabinet meeting will be promulgated after President Lee Jae-myung, who is visiting the United States, gives approval and the notice is published in the official gazette. It takes effect immediately upon promulgation. However, the clause in the insurrection special prosecutor act that mandates broadcasting of trials related to insurrection will apply starting one month after promulgation.