The Democratic Party of Korea began gathering public opinion on the government's released advance notice of legislation for the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (Jung Su-cheong). Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae said the overarching principle of "separating investigation and indictment" is clear, and signaled revisions to the bill, saying there is a problem with the dual structure of Jung Su-cheong, which is the key point at issue. The dual structure of Jung Su-cheong refers to organizing the agency with prosecutors affiliated with the Prosecution Service serving as investigation magistrates and judicial police officers affiliated with the Korean National Police Agency serving as specialist investigators.
On the 20th in the morning, the Democratic Party held a policy caucus at the National Assembly for a "Public Prosecution Office Act and Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Act public hearing." The public hearing proceeded with Democratic Party lawmakers in attendance and featured a debate between experts in favor of and against the bills. There was also time for the panelists to answer advance questions and questions posted in YouTube comments.
At the public hearing, Jung said, "The party's principle on prosecution reform, including establishing the Public Prosecution Office and Jung Su-cheong, is the separation of investigation and indictment—like the saying 'treatment by doctors, medicine by pharmacists,' it is 'indictment by prosecutors, investigation by police.'"
The Democratic Party debated the advance notice of legislation for the Public Prosecution Office and Jung Su-cheong. Hard-liners centered on The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee pointed out that Jung Su-cheong's structure—divided into investigation magistrates and specialist investigators—and the Public Prosecution Office's three-tier structure of high, appellate and local levels are no different from the Prosecution Service. Some Democratic Party lawmakers, however, said that considering crime victims, the criminal system cannot be drastically changed.
Panelists at the public hearing also argued intensely over Jung Su-cheong's dual structure. After the debate, Jung hinted that the government plan could be revised.
Choi Ho-jin, a law professor at Dankook University who supports the government plan, said, "(Investigation magistrates and specialist investigators) are set up as a functional cooperative relationship, not a hierarchical one. They are all judicial police officers, not prosecutors," adding, "That said, it may be worth considering terms such as legal investigator rather than the title investigation magistrate, and in the long run, unification could be reviewed."
Hwang Moon-gyu, a professor in the Department of Police Administration at Joongbu University who opposes the plan, said, "I question whether there is really a need to focus (Jung Su-cheong's investigation magistrates) mainly on legal professionals," adding, "This will in effect make Jung Su-cheong a second Prosecution Service and open the door to a world of preferential treatment for former officials."
In closing remarks after the debate, Jung said, "One valuable conclusion we reached today (the 20th) is that 'the dual structure of Jung Su-cheong seems to be problematic,'" adding, "There also seemed to be consensus on both sides that using the title investigation magistrate carries potential for misunderstanding."
The Democratic Party will hold another policy caucus on the 22nd to collect the views of its lawmakers. The party plans to continue discussions without being bound by the advance notice deadline for the Public Prosecution Office and Jung Su-cheong bills, which runs through the 26th. The party leadership will compile the opinions from the public hearing and the policy caucus and deliver them to the government.