The Democratic Party of Korea will convey to the government its view that, after dismantling the Prosecution Service and launching the Public Prosecution Office, only the right to request supplementary investigations should be recognized. Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung had hinted that the power to conduct supplementary investigations was needed for some cases, but the party decided to recognize only the right to request supplementary investigations. The scope of investigations by the Serious Crimes Investigation Office (SCIO) will be reduced from the existing nine areas to six.
On Feb. 5 in the afternoon, the Democratic Party held a policy caucus at the National Assembly and discussed the government's released bill to establish the Public Prosecution Office and the SCIO. Earlier, the party held two caucuses and one public hearing on bills related to the dismantling of the Prosecution Service.
Kim Han-kyu, the Democratic Party's senior deputy floor leader for policy, met with reporters after the caucus and said, "We decided not to recognize the power to conduct supplementary investigations but to allow only the right to request supplementary investigations, while ensuring it can function effectively by leaving room for it to operate," and added, "We agreed to unify the SCIO's investigative structure by standardizing the title to investigator and to create positions such as legal investigator according to actual duties."
The SCIO's investigative scope, previously divided into nine areas, was also reduced. Kim said, "In the draft bill, the SCIO's investigative scope was set at nine areas, but we decided to exclude three: large-scale disasters, public officials, and election crimes," and added, "For cybercrimes, the scope is too broad, so we plan to convey the view that the SCIO should focus on attacks on national infrastructure and high-tech crimes."
Earlier, on Jan. 21, the president said at a New Year's press conference that the power to conduct supplementary investigations was needed for some exceptional cases, such as crimes nearing the statute of limitations. However, the Democratic Party's position is to operate first with only the right to request supplementary investigations and consider the power to conduct supplementary investigations if difficulties arise.
Kim said, "We prepared amendment plans to allow the Public Prosecution Office to fully present opinions to investigative agencies and to devise ways to compel compliance if those opinions are not followed," and added, "If the government submits a revised bill, we should pass the bill to establish the Public Prosecution Office and the SCIO as swiftly as possible, by February or, at the latest, by early March."