Focusing on Party Sentiment, Calls for "Abolition Before National Convention"... Can the Pace Be Adjusted?

[Anchor]

Even within the Democratic Party, negative opinions regarding the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights have been increasing. However, most candidates for party leadership are leaning toward abolishing them before the national convention next month.

What is the Democratic Party's true intention, and what variables remain? Reporter Go Jeong-hyeon has more.

[Reporter]

Most candidates for the Democratic Party's leadership race have taken a stance in favor of abolishing the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights, calling for the abolition to take place either before the August 17 national convention or as soon as possible.

[Kim Min-seok / Former Prime Minister (July 16, SBS News Briefing): Since other political schedules will proceed after the national convention, it would be better to wrap this up as quickly as possible under the current leadership...]

[Jung Chung-rae / Former Democratic Party Representative (July 16): Supplementary investigation rights must be completely abolished. It is a promise and a grand principle of our government and the Democratic Party.]

The Democratic Party leadership also maintains that since the Major Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Service are set to launch on October 2, the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, which includes the abolition of supplementary investigation rights, must be processed by August at the latest.

The calculation is that if the public deliberation process is carried out this week and the review by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee subcommittee is completed this month, passage through the remaining Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session will be possible before August 17, when the Democratic Party's national convention is held.

The variable is how much louder the voices of opposition within the party will become, arguing that a full abolition of supplementary investigation rights would have significant side effects.

During the policy general meeting of lawmakers today (July 21), opinions clashed between those who argued for maintaining the rights on a limited basis to check the police and protect victims, and those who argued for abolition, citing many cases where the prosecution has hindered the investigation of crimes.

[Hong Ki-won / Democratic Party Lawmaker (In favor of limited maintenance of supplementary investigation rights): I am arguing that it must be maintained precisely to protect victims.]

[Kim Seung-won / Democratic Party Lawmaker (In favor of abolition of supplementary investigation rights): (In the case of Choi Young-joong, suspected of child prostitution) the prosecution's demand for supplementary investigation for a search and seizure caused a 4-day delay, and the communication warrant was completely dismissed...]

Conservative opposition parties, including the People Power Party, which decided to return to the National Assembly schedule today, are expected to attempt to block the legislation of the bill to abolish supplementary investigation rights.

(Video reporting: Oh Young-chun, Kim Yong-woo | Video editing: Won Hyung-hee | Design: Han Song-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.