Bill to Abolish Prosecutors' Supplementary Investigation Power Introduced Amid Calls for Police Oversight

[Anchor]

Yesterday, July 8, the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee introduced a bill led by the ruling party to abolish the prosecution's power to conduct supplementary investigations. Regarding the allegations of a cover-up by the police in the Jang Yoon-gi case, even members of the ruling party pointed out the need for oversight mechanisms for the police.

Reporter Son Hyeong-an has the story.

[Reporter]

At the plenary session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held yesterday afternoon, attended only by lawmakers from the pan-ruling party bloc.

Allegations of a police cover-up regarding the Jang Yoon-gi case, involving the murder of a high school girl, were brought to the table.

[Kim Nam-hee / Democratic Party lawmaker: I was deeply shocked. Minister, the family of the criminal colluded with the police investigating the case to destroy and discard evidence...]

[Jeong Seong-ho / Minister of Justice: It was a very unusual, truly shocking case.]

The Democratic Party has emphasized that while it intends to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation power, it will strengthen the effectiveness of the power to request supplementary investigations to prevent shoddy police investigations.

[Seo Young-kyo / Chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Democratic Party lawmaker): In the process of the police's corruption and irregularities being revealed to the world, the victims were left feeling even more aggrieved. We must discipline the police officers and replace the investigators.]

Minister of Justice Jeong Seong-ho stated that a significant number of cases for which the prosecution requested supplementary investigations from the police are being delayed, and requested that the National Assembly establish effective means of control.

Regarding the claim that the prosecution is using this case to maintain the supplementary investigation power, which is on the verge of being abolished, Minister Jeong replied that it is groundless.

[Jeong Seong-ho / Minister of Justice: There are 11 items that were not properly handled at the police stage and had to be supplemented at the prosecution stage. It is not just one or two.]

Yesterday, an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, proposed by some lawmakers from the pan-ruling bloc with the main goal of abolishing the supplementary investigation power, was introduced to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

Lawmakers from the People Power Party, who are boycotting the National Assembly standing committee schedule in protest of the Democratic Party's unilateral formation of the assembly, held a fierce protest in front of the meeting room, demanding an end to the abolition of the supplementary investigation power.

[Kwak Gyu-taek / People Power Party lawmaker: By abolishing supplementary investigations, you are letting criminals roam free!]

As the Democratic Party plans to propose an amendment to abolish the supplementary investigation power within this week, political controversy is expected to intensify further.

(Video reporting: Lee Seung-hwan, Shin Dong-hwan | Video editing: Jang Hyun-gi)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.