Victims of violent crimes and sex crimes opposed abolishing prosecutors' supplemental investigation authority at a National Assembly forum held by Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers. They argued that if the supplemental authority disappears, there will be no way to correct a police investigation that has gone astray. Although there are voices inside and outside the Democratic Party opposing the abolition of prosecutors' supplemental authority, the party leadership plans to revise the Criminal Procedure Act as quickly as possible.
On the morning of the 23rd, Democratic Party lawmaker Hong Gi-won and others held a forum at the National Assembly Members' Office Building under the theme "The desirable direction for revising the Criminal Procedure Act as seen by crime victims." The forum was co-hosted by Hong and Democratic Party lawmakers Nam In-soon, Maeng Sung-gyu, Baek Hye-ryeon, Joo Cheol-hyeon, Lee So-young, Park Hee-seung, Jeong Jin-uk, Park Hae-cheol, Lee Yeon-hee, Park Gyun-taek, Kim Nam-hee, and Kwak Sang-eon.
Crime victims warned that abolishing prosecutors' supplemental investigation authority would create a "balloon effect" concentrating investigative power in the police. They further said that because police investigations can also contain errors, the supplemental authority must remain as a minimum safeguard. They emphasized that while maintaining the authority, ways to strengthen transparency and accountability should also be considered.
Kim Jin-ju (an alias), the victim in the "Busan roundhouse kick case," introduced herself as a "lucky victim" who found redress through prosecutors' supplemental investigation. In this case, a man in his 30s assaulted Jin-ju in 2022 and attempted to rape her. Police took it as a simple injury case, but through prosecutors' supplemental investigation, the charge of attempted rape and murder was recognized.
Jin-ju said, "Police asked me, who had lost my memory, whether it seemed I had been sexually assaulted, and when I answered probably not, they just let it go," adding, "But thanks to prosecutors' persistence, the perpetrator's DNA was extracted from inside jeans riddled with countless holes, and the sentence became 20 years. If there had been no supplemental investigation, I would still think my case was a simple aggravated injury."
Park Sun-young, a sulfuric acid attack victim and Deputy Minister at the Integrated Support Center for Crime Victims, said, "The issue is not police or prosecutors. The issue is that no single institution is perfect," and added, "When a police investigation goes wrong, key evidence is omitted, and a victim's case is unjustly closed, who will set it right?"
She continued, "What is more concerning is that, while the voices calling for abolition are loud, there are no visible alternatives after abolition," and noted, "A truly victim-centered policy does not end with listening to victims' voices; it only begins when one can explain how those voices have actually been reflected in policy."
The Democratic Party plans to revise the Criminal Procedure Act in short order. The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Bill Review No. 1 is conducting its second day of deliberations on the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, following the previous day. At the Democratic Party's general assembly of lawmakers on the 24th, there is a possibility that "abolishing the supplemental investigation authority" will be adopted as the party line.
Kim Seung-won, the ruling party secretary on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and a Democratic Party lawmaker, met with reporters after the subcommittee review that day and said, "We are focusing on a swift review to ease the public's anxiety and concerns," adding, "As the Criminal Procedure Act is discussed, there are allegations and back-and-forth, so we are making a political judgment to proceed efficiently and quickly."