Minjoo Considers Re-amending the Complete Prosecution Investigation Ban Law Amid Prosecutor Investigation Expansion Decree Plan

"Opening All Possibilities and Multi-Angle Obstruction"
National Assembly Enforcement Decree Control Measures Prepared
Urgent Call for Immediate Suspension to Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] The Democratic Party of Korea strongly opposed the government's move to revise the enforcement decree to expand the scope of prosecution investigations, which is set to take place one month before the implementation of the "Geomsu Wanbak (Prosecution Service Act and Criminal Procedure Act amendments)" on the 12th. The Democratic Party plans to block this from multiple angles, keeping all possibilities open, including the National Assembly's right to request enforcement decree amendments, legislative amendments, and motions to dismiss the minister.

Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is answering reporters' questions after an emergency press conference regarding the Ministry of Justice's enforcement ordinance amendment at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 12th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Democratic Party lawmakers from the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference on the same day, urging the immediate halt of attempts to revise the enforcement decree. This followed the Ministry of Justice's legislative notice of the proposed amendment to the "Regulations on the Scope of Crimes for Prosecutors' Investigation Initiation (Presidential Decree)" to expand the scope of direct investigations by prosecutors.

Once the Geomsu Wanbak law, led by the Democratic Party in April, takes effect next month, the crimes prosecutors can directly investigate will be reduced from the current six major crimes (corruption, economic crimes, public officials, elections, defense industry, and major disasters) to "important crimes such as corruption and economic crimes as prescribed by presidential decree." However, the government's proposed enforcement decree revision redefines some public official and election crimes to be investigated by the prosecution.

Democratic Party judiciary committee members criticized, "The enactment and revision of enforcement decrees cannot exceed the limits delegated by law, yet the Ministry of Justice arbitrarily revised the limits delegated by the amended Prosecution Service Act," adding, "This directly opposes the National Assembly's legislative efforts to reduce prosecution investigation rights." They particularly view this amendment as a legal basis for political retaliation against the previous administration.

After the press conference, Representative Park Beom-gye criticized to reporters, calling it "an enforcement decree revision to protect their own and to target the previous administration." They argue that the newly classified direct investigation targets by prosecutors, such as "abuse of authority" and "forgery of official documents," are strategic moves considering ongoing investigations into cases involving the Moon Jae-in administration officials, such as the "forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen" and the "suspected defection of a public official killed in the West Sea."

The Democratic Party plans to keep all means open to block the enforcement decree. This includes National Assembly control over enforcement decrees by submitting them to the relevant standing committees, as well as reconsidering re-amendment of the Prosecution Service Act, which was revised last April from "corruption crimes, economic crimes among others" to "corruption crimes, economic crimes, etc.," to clarify the scope again.

Pressure tactics such as ministerial dismissal are also expected to be considered from multiple angles. Representative Ki Dong-min said regarding the dismissal of the minister, "It is not a matter for the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to decide," but added, "Like Minister Lee Sang-min of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, grounds for dismissing Minister Han Dong-hoon are steadily accumulating. The leadership will keep open the possibility of pursuing legal procedures and review them."