Overview
- The Democratic Party moved the Criminal Procedure Act revision from the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to a six-member agenda coordination panel and pressed to bring the measure to a National Assembly plenary vote on Thursday.
- Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon warned that abolishing prosecutors' direct and supplementary investigative authority would hide the truth and weaken the criminal justice system.
- The People Power Party has signaled further filibusters to block the bill, but the DP’s 161 seats plus minor-party support give it the numbers likely needed to cut off debate and force a vote.
- Critics say the bill’s proposed 'fact-verification' step would allow prosecutors to obtain statements that function like evidence, while the DP says the change separates investigation and indictment to curb prosecutorial overreach.
- Separately, rival parties agreed on a bipartisan special-counsel blueprint to probe June 3 election ballot problems with a team that includes five assistant counsels, about 70 investigators and time-limited mandates, a move that narrows the scope of ongoing election probes.