Handonghun: "The Enforcement Decree of 'Prosecutor's Office Restoration' Is Important for the People... Apologies Should Come from the Democratic Party"

On the 27th at the National Assembly Judiciary Committee, a rebuttal to a Democratic Party lawmaker
"Why prevent investigations into gangsters, drugs, false accusations, and perjury?"

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon strongly expressed his determination to uphold the enforcement decree of 'Geomsuwonbok' (restoration of the prosecution's investigative authority) at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 27th.

Minister Han appeared at the full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and, when criticized by Kim Seung-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, that the enforcement decree of Geomsuwonbok should be changed, he stated, "This enforcement decree was created within the bounds of the law," and added, "Rather, it has become more important to uphold this enforcement decree to protect the public from crime."

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is responding to current issue questions at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 27th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Minister Han then retorted, "I want to ask why exactly we should revert to not allowing investigations into gangsters, drugs, false accusations, and perjury."

When Representative Kim said, "Shouldn't there be an apology to the public, whether it was a misjudgment or for some other reason?" Minister Han replied, "Four out of nine Constitutional Court justices recognized the prosecutor's standing as a petitioner. In a situation where unconstitutional and illegal acts such as disguised party switching clearly emerged during the legislative process, it is not me who should apologize, but the Democratic Party lawmakers who pushed this law forward."

The enforcement decree of Geomsuwonbok was created by the Ministry of Justice last year in response to Geomsuwanbak. Unlike Geomsuwanbak, which limits the prosecution's direct investigation scope to corruption and economic crimes, the Geomsuwonbok enforcement decree allows the prosecution to directly investigate public officials, elections, drugs, organized crime, and more. Minister Han explained, "We fully understood the intent and created the enforcement decree practically limited to two major crimes."

In response to criticism that "those under investigation might file objections or nullification claims arguing that the enforcement decree is unconstitutional," Minister Han countered, "The Geomsuwanbak law itself brings revolutionary changes to the criminal justice system. There will inevitably be various litigations on how to interpret it. This is an unavoidable outcome from the adjustment of investigative authority and Geomsuwanbak, not because of the enforcement decree."

He emphasized, "I believe the public interest has been further enhanced by the enforcement decree."

The People Power Party pointed out the Democratic Party's 'cunning party switching' during the legislative process of Geomsuwanbak in relation to the Constitutional Court's ruling. Jang Dong-hyuk, a member of the People Power Party, criticized, "While acknowledging that free debate was not guaranteed during the voting process and that the cunning party switching that neutralized the agenda adjustment committee led to the decision being made, seriously infringing on voting rights, the court ultimately ruled that the law is not invalid, a decision that no citizen can accept."