Permanent Special Prosecutor Appointment Possible Without Consent... National Assembly Rule Amendment Bill Passes Operations Committee Subcommittee

Ruling Party Walks Out as Democratic and Joguk Parties Handle
President's Case, Ruling Party Unable to Recommend Special Prosecutor
Bill Expanding Authority to Summon Absent Witnesses Also Passed

The Subcommittee on Improvement of National Assembly Operations (Chairman Park Seong-jun) passed a revision to the National Assembly rules allowing the opposition party to select special prosecutors (special investigation teams). If the rule revision passes the final plenary session, the ruling party's recommendation rights will be excluded when appointing special prosecutors for the president and the president's family.

Members of the Democratic Party and the Innovation Party for Justice, belonging to the Subcommittee on Improvement of Operations, discussed 46 agenda items including the rule revision at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 28th. Chairman Park Seong-jun stated, "From 10:30 a.m., we had in-depth discussions on 45 bills and rule revisions over a long period," adding, "Among them, six bills and one rule revision were put to a vote and passed around 6 p.m." He also said, "A member of the People Power Party opposed the voting procedure and left, so the Democratic Party and Innovation Party for Justice members voted and processed it."

On the morning of the 28th, Park Seong-jun, the subcommittee chairman, is presiding over the National Assembly Operations Improvement Subcommittee of the National Assembly Steering Committee held at Yeouido, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The bills and rule revisions passed under opposition leadership that day are scheduled to be submitted to the full Operations Committee meeting on the 31st. If passed at the full meeting, they will proceed to the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee and then to the plenary session. Among the passed bills is an amendment to the Act on Testimony and Appraisal at the National Assembly, allowing the issuance of escort orders for witnesses who fail to appear at hearings. The current system only allows escort orders for national audits or investigations, but this expands it to hearings and others.

Additionally, amendments to the National Assembly Act abolishing the automatic submission system for budget bills and related revenue bills, an amendment to the National Assembly Act that suspends salary payments when a member is indicted or detained, as well as amendments to the National Assembly Library Act, the Act on Presidential Security, and the National Human Rights Commission Act were passed.

Members of the People Power Party belonging to the Subcommittee on Improvement of Operations held a press conference condemning the bills and rule revisions passed that day as a 'smash-and-grab' (rush) process.