The amendment to the Government Organization Act, centered on the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office, was passed in the National Assembly's plenary session under the leadership of the ruling party.
The amendment to the Government Organization Act was passed on the 26th in the plenary session, with 174 votes in favor, 1 against, and 5 abstentions out of 180 lawmakers present.
Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea voted in favor, while the opposition People Power Party, which opposes the bill, did not participate in the vote.
The amendment stipulates the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office and the establishment of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Agency, thereby separating the investigation and indictment functions of the prosecution. The Serious Crime Investigation Agency will be under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Prosecution Agency will be under the Ministry of Justice.
With a one-year grace period for the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office and the establishment of the two new agencies, the Prosecutors' Office will close its doors in September next year, marking the end of its 78-year history.
The amendment also includes the division of the Ministry of Economy and Finance into the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Office for Planning and Budget, transferring the budget function of the Ministry of Economy and Finance to the Office for Planning and Budget under the Prime Minister's Office. This change will take effect from January 2 next year. As a result, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which was established by merging the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Office for Planning and Budget before 2008, will be dissolved after 18 years.
The amendment further calls for the abolition of the Korea Communications Commission and the establishment of the Broadcasting Media Communications Commission. The Ministry of Environment will be reorganized into the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will be renamed the Ministry of Trade and Industry. All energy-related work, except for the nuclear power export sector within the current Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will be transferred to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party's proposed reform of the Financial Services Commission was excluded from this amendment. The domestic financial policy functions of the Financial Services Commission, which were initially planned to be transferred to the Ministry of Finance and Economy, will remain with the current Financial Services Commission, and the Financial Supervisory Service will also maintain its current structure.
The amendment was submitted to the National Assembly's plenary session the previous day, but immediately after submission, a filibuster (an unlimited debate to legally delay proceedings) was initiated at the request of the People Power Party.
In response, the Democratic Party submitted a motion to end the filibuster, and a vote to end the debate was held at around 6:30 p.m. on this day, 24 hours after the filibuster began.
The Democratic Party plans to sequentially process the bills for the establishment of the Broadcasting Media Communications Commission, the amendment to the National Assembly Act, and the National Assembly Testimony and Appraisal Act, but the People Power Party has announced its intention to immediately launch a filibuster against these bills as well.
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