Three Major Special Prosecutor Laws and Prosecutor Disciplinary Act Amendment Passed by National Assembly
The so-called "three major special prosecutor laws (Insurrection Special Prosecutor Law, Kim Keonhee Special Prosecutor Law, Chae Sangbyeong Special Prosecutor Law)" and the amendment to the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act were passed at the National Assembly plenary session on June 5, led by the Democratic Party.
On the 5th, the special prosecutor law for Chae Haebyeong was passed at the National Assembly plenary session. Photo by Yonhap News
On this day, the National Assembly held a plenary session in the afternoon and voted on the "Special Prosecutor Law for Fact-Finding on State Manipulation and Illegal Election Interference Related to Kim Keonhee, Myung Taegyun, and Geonjin Bopsa," the "Special Prosecutor Law for Fact-Finding on Obstruction of Investigation and Concealment of the Death of a Marine in the Line of Duty," and the "Special Prosecutor Law for Fact-Finding on Insurrection and Treason by Former President Yoon Sukyeol," among others.
The Insurrection Special Prosecutor Law, the Kim Keonhee Special Prosecutor Law, and the Chae Sangbyeong Special Prosecutor Law were each passed with 194 in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention out of 198 present. The amendment to the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act was passed with 185 in favor and 18 against out of 202 present.
The Insurrection Special Prosecutor Law concerns the investigation of overall suspicions related to former President Yoon Sukyeol's 12·3 Martial Law Declaration. For the special prosecutor position, the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party each recommend one candidate, and the president appoints one of them.
The original bill allowed for the appointment of four assistant special prosecutors and forty dispatched prosecutors, but at the plenary session, the Democratic Party proposed a revision to allow seven assistant special prosecutors and up to sixty dispatched prosecutors, and this amendment was passed.
The Kim Keonhee Special Prosecutor Law combines the previous Myung Taegyun Special Prosecutor Law and Kim Keonhee Special Prosecutor Law, and will investigate nomination interference and illegal opinion polling. The Chae Sangbyeong Special Prosecutor Law concerns the investigation of the death of a Marine during a search operation for a missing person in July 2023 and suspicions of obstruction of the investigation. In effect, it targets former President Yoon.
In addition, the amendment to the Prosecutor Disciplinary Act extends the authority to request disciplinary action against prosecutors, which is currently granted to the Prosecutor General, to the Minister of Justice as well. The amendment allows the Minister of Justice to direct the Ministry of Justice Inspector General to investigate a specific prosecutor.
These bills were voted on with most People Power Party lawmakers absent. The People Power Party decided as a party policy to oppose all four bills.
Previously, the Chae Sangbyeong Special Prosecutor Law had passed the National Assembly three times, the Insurrection Special Prosecutor Law twice, and the Kim Keonhee Special Prosecutor Law four times, but all were discarded due to the exercise of the right of reconsideration (veto) by the Yoon Sukyeol administration. However, with the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, the laws are expected to be promulgated immediately and the special prosecutor appointment procedures to begin.
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