Song Eonseok: "Prosecution Reform Is an Attempt to Blunt the Blade of the Law... Will Respond with Every Means Available"

People Power Party Holds Emergency Debate on "Prosecution Reform Season 2"
Jang Donghyuk: "Investigative Authority Will Be Seized by the President"

Song Eonseok, Emergency Committee Chairman and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, criticized the prosecution reform being pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea on the 10th, saying, "It is an attempt to blunt the blade of the law in order to cover up crimes committed by those in power," and added, "We will mobilize every means available to ensure that the rights of the people are not unjustly violated."

Song Eonseok, Emergency Committee Chairman and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at an urgent debate titled "Prosecution Reform Season 2, How Is the Criminal Justice System Collapsing?" hosted by members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News

At the urgent debate titled "How Is the Criminal Justice System Collapsing?" held at the National Assembly that afternoon, Song stated, "Prosecution reform is not for the people, but is merely bulletproof legislation intended to neutralize investigations and trials targeting their own side."

Song pointed out, "The 'Prosecution Reform Season 1' (complete deprivation of prosecutorial investigative authority) enforced by the Moon Jaein administration created investigative gaps and, as a result, delayed responses to crimes affecting people's livelihoods. Now, under the Lee Jaemyung administration, there is an even more serious attempt to dismantle the prosecution."

He continued, "Such actions will ultimately remove the legal safeguards for the people and undermine the social safety net," and criticized, "The prosecution reform task force (TF) recently launched by the Democratic Party has tried to frame President Lee Jaemyung's illegal remittance to North Korea case as a fabrication."

Jang Donghyuk, the People Power Party secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee who hosted the debate, said, "It has already become clear that 'Prosecution Reform Season 1' has created gaps in protecting the rights and interests of the people. On top of that, they are now pushing for 'Prosecution Reform Season 2,' which aims to completely separate investigative and prosecutorial powers?so-called 'Prosecution Reform Complete Separation.'"

Jang emphasized, "The current prosecution reform by the Democratic Party is not just about separating investigative authority, but about allowing the president, who stands at the very top of state power, to seize all investigative authority. In the end, it is the people who will suffer the consequences."

Kim Jungjae, Policy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, also pointed out, "The Democratic Party is trying to dismantle the criminal justice system that has been in place for 76 years all at once, saying they will pass all four major prosecution reform bills within three months. This is inherently political and arrogant."

Kim further added, "To push through such significant institutional changes unilaterally, without national consensus or public discussion, is a serious violation of democracy."

Kim Eunjeong, a partner attorney at Law Firm Rium who attended the debate, said, "Anyone with legal knowledge would question whether the four prosecution reform bills can actually be implemented. Those who proposed these bills are probably hoping that the public will not look closely at them."

Do Gyuyup, a professor of police law at Sangji University, wrote in his discussion paper, "One of the main arguments for prosecution reform is that the prosecution is an uncontrollable, absolute power and is strongly colluded with political or economic forces. If we simply dismantle the prosecution organization without applying concrete solutions to these problems, the issues will persist indefinitely."