After an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority passed the National Assembly, the People Power Party rushed to the Blue House and urged President Lee Jae-myung to exercise the right to request reconsideration (veto), saying "President Lee Jae-myung cut a backroom deal with the Democratic Party over dismissal of indictment and abolition of supplementary investigation authority." The Democratic Party shot back, calling it "a malicious rumor dragging President Lee Jae-myung into this."
On the morning of the 3rd, the People Power Party leadership gathered in front of the Blue House and held an on-site supreme council meeting titled "Urging a veto of the evil law abolishing supplementary investigation authority." People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said, "When it was declared that the Criminal Procedure Act amendment passed, the Republic of Korea received a death sentence," and added, "It is a law that only benefits criminals, including President Lee Jae-myung." He continued, calling it "the command of the people and of history," and said, "A veto must be exercised against this evil law."
Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik also aimed at the president, saying, "The Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party are an arrogant ruling force that ignores the people," and "The president and the Democratic Party cut a backroom deal on dismissal of indictment and abolition of supplementary investigation authority."
Article 327 of the Criminal Procedure Act, passed under the Democratic Party's lead, includes provisions related to dismissal of indictment rulings. The current law defines reasons for dismissal of indictment such as when there is no jurisdiction to try due to the defendant's death or when the indictment procedure is invalid for violating legal provisions, but the Democratic Party added "when an indictment is filed based on a seriously unlawful investigation" and "when an indictment is filed by markedly exceeding prosecutorial discretion." The opposition camp noted that this "left open the possibility of dismissing the indictment in the president's trial." They also said expressions such as "seriously" and "markedly" are vague and that there is no transitional provision excluding ongoing trials.
The Democratic Party countered the People Power Party's "backroom deal" claim as a political offensive at odds with the facts. At a supreme council meeting that morning, Democratic Party floor leader Han Byeong-do said to the People Power Party, "It merely codifies judicial precedents," calling it "a malicious rumor." He also said, "One should not appeal as if prosecutors' direct investigative authority, which is not guaranteed by the Constitution, were a constitutional power."
At 2 p.m. on the 3rd, the Democratic Party will hold a public briefing on the Criminal Procedure Act amendment to explain what mechanisms have been put in place to protect the rights of victims and socially vulnerable people.