Democratic Party Pushes to Abolish Prosecutors' Investigative Powers Amid Concerns

Should party politics bury supplementary investigations?

The Democratic Party (DP) has vowed to press ahead with abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers, despite concerns voiced even within the party over the consequences. Floor leader Han Byung-do recently declared that "the principle of prosecution reform is that prosecutors do not investigate" and that there was no disagreement within the party. If so, critics ask whether lawmakers' earlier expressions of concern and attempts to compromise legislation were merely political theater.

The party appears determined to fast-track the bill through the National Assembly. The move comes just as the rival parties had finally restored parliamentary operations after more than 50 days of deadlock by agreeing on a mechanism to appoint a special counsel to investigate controversies involving the National Election Commission. The DP's insistence on pushing through the measure now risks undermining the spirit of cooperation that had only recently emerged.

The timing is closely tied to the party's leadership election. There are clear signs that DP leaders want to settle the issue before prosecution reform becomes a major point of contention in the race for party chair.

Hard-line supporters, who hold considerable influence in the leadership contest, have fiercely criticized lawmakers who proposed retaining some supplementary investigative authority, branding them the "11 enemies of prosecution reform" and bombarding them with text messages. Mindful of those voters, candidates for party leader have uniformly endorsed the complete abolition of prosecutors' powers. The presidential office has also kept its distance, saying it will respect whatever decision the party makes.

It is troubling that the ruling camp, responsible for governing the country, appears willing to overhaul a criminal justice system that profoundly affects ordinary citizens according to the political calculations of an internal power struggle.

The DP's recent policy forum, which invited scholars concerned about the side effects of abolition, seemed largely intended to demonstrate that public opinion had been heard. Although about 100 lawmakers attended at the outset, most reportedly left before the discussions ended.

Warnings have grown louder in the wake of the Jang Yun-gi case, which exposed allegations of evidence destruction and manipulation by police investigators. Women's organizations and progressive civic groups alike have emphasized the need for institutional checks. They argue that if prosecutors lose all supplementary investigative powers, the costs will ultimately be borne by ordinary citizens, especially the socially vulnerable.