Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae said he will scrap prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority in its entirety. In politics, some said this was out of sync with President Lee Jae-myung hinting at limited allowance of the authority, saying, "the public must not suffer harm." Within the Democratic Party, the stance was that communication over Jung's position "was not smooth."
Kang Jun-hyun, the Democratic Party's chief spokesperson, said at a press briefing at the National Assembly on the 12th regarding Jung's stance to fully abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority, "It seems there was not enough communication between the parties." On the same day, Jung posted on Facebook an article titled "full abolition of supplementary investigation authority."
Lee Ju-hee, the party's floor spokesperson, said, "Discussions on abolishing the supplementary investigation authority itself are not underway in the floor right now," adding, "At an appropriate time such discussions could happen, but not yet."
The president and the government say prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority should be allowed on a limited basis. In particular, at a press conference marking the first anniversary of the inauguration on Jun. 8, the president said, "It is right to exclude prosecutors' powers, but the public must not suffer harm." At a New Year's press conference in January, the president also noted, "There are cases where supplementary investigations are exceptionally necessary."
Some interpret Jung's call for full abolition of the supplementary investigation authority as appealing to hard-line supporters who demand prosecution reform. With accountability and resignation debates flaring after the June 3 local elections, it is also seen as a choice to break through head-on.
Regarding Jung's future, chief spokesperson Kang said, "We listened to various opinions and are deliberating," adding, "It would be right to wait until he fully organizes and expresses his position."