A first government organization act revision bill of the Lee Jae-myung administration, centered on abolishing the Prosecutors' Office and splitting the Ministry of Economy and Finance, passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 26th. With this, the Prosecutors' Office, established in 1948, will disappear into history after a one-year grace period, 78 years later.
The Democratic Party of Korea forced an end to the filibuster (unlimited debate) by a vote at 6:57 p.m. that day in the National Assembly plenary session. When the People Power Party launched a filibuster on the government organization act revision bill, the Democratic Party submitted a motion to end it at about 6:30 p.m. the previous day. A filibuster can be forcibly terminated with the approval of three-fifths or more (at least 180) of all lawmakers after 24 hours from its start.
In the subsequent vote, the government organization act revision bill was passed with 175 in favor, one against, and four abstentions out of 180 present. When the revision bill was handled, Democratic Party lawmakers applauded and cheered.
In contrast, Chun Ha-ram of the Reform Party, who took part in the vote, cast a vote against, and Shin Jang-sik, Baek Sun-hee, and Cha Gyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party abstained. People Power Party lawmakers boycotted the vote in protest of the push to pass the revision bill.
The core of the revision is to abolish the Prosecutors' Office and create a Public Prosecution Service under the Ministry of Justice and a Serious Crimes Investigation Service (SCIS) under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to separate prosecutors' investigation and indictment functions. However, the effective date is next September, with a one-year grace period. During this period, the ruling party and government plan to further discuss contentious issues, including whether to maintain the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority.
In addition, the Ministry of Economy and Finance will be renamed the Ministry of Finance and Economy, and the budget function will be transferred to the Planning and Budget Office under the Office of the Prime Minister. The plan in the draft to transfer the Financial Services Commission's domestic financial policy function to the Ministry of Finance and Economy was withdrawn by the ruling party and government and was excluded from this revision bill.
Along with this, ▲the Ministry of Environment will be expanded and reorganized into the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and energy policy functions, excluding the institutional sector for nuclear power export of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will be transferred; ▲the Korea Communications Commission will be abolished and a Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission will be established; and ▲the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will be expanded and reorganized into the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Equality.
With the passage of the government organization act revision bill, Democratic Party leadership immediately issued a statement welcoming it. Jeong Cheong-rae, the Democratic Party leader, said, "Abolition of the Prosecutors' Office confirmed," adding, "If not for President Lee Jae-myung's will and determination, if not for the people's aspirations, this would have been impossible." Floor leader Kim Byung-gi also said, "We have toppled the prosecutorial power that dared to lord over the people," adding, "Tasks remain. We must liquidate the privileges and foul play, and the remnants of political interference, that the political prosecution has accumulated."
Meanwhile, after handling the government organization act revision bill, the Democratic Party immediately introduced the Act on the Establishment and Operation of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission. In response, the People Power Party launched a filibuster, with Choi Hyeong-du, a former journalist, taking the floor first.