United Future Party Judiciary Committee Member: "Investigation After Ministerial Approval? It Will Weaken Probes into 'Power-Type Corruption'"

United Future Party Criticizes Blue House's 'Provisional Enforcement Decree of the Prosecutors' Office Act'

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee affiliated with the United Future Party criticized the provisional enforcement decree related to the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and the police prepared by the Blue House on the 22nd.

The provisional decree is known to include provisions that when the prosecution initiates an investigation into cases that are socially significant or involve a large number of victims, the Prosecutor General must obtain approval from the Minister of Justice. It also limits the scope of prosecution investigations to public officials of grade 4 or higher, bribery cases involving amounts over 30 million won, and drug crimes including smuggling offenses.

In response, the United Future Party's judiciary committee members held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office that afternoon, stating, "In short, this is a regressive measure that weakens the prosecution's anti-corruption investigative functions, such as those involving power-related corruption, and undermines the neutrality of prosecution investigations."

They expressed concern, saying, "If the Blue House's proposal is implemented as is, the authority to decide the targets and methods of investigation in power-related corruption cases will be transferred to the Minister of Justice," and "there is a considerable possibility that politically biased investigations will be conducted." They added, "A Minister of Justice like Cho Kuk would not approve the initiation of prosecution investigations against himself and his family," emphasizing, "Investigations such as the Blue House's election manipulation case in Ulsan and the case of former Busan Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo, who flaunted his friendship with the president, would not even be able to start."

Regarding the limitation of the prosecution's investigative scope, they criticized, "Power-related corruption often involves lower-level officials executing orders from superiors, implicating multiple parties. This limits the rank and scope of investigation targets even more than the parent law, the Prosecutors' Office Act," and added, "This is an ultra-legal proposal that only focuses on weakening the prosecution and stripping its investigative authority, destroying both investigative realities and the legal framework."

They stated, "The very idea of allowing the Minister of Justice to concurrently serve as the Prosecutor General is a trick to avoid prosecution investigations in the latter half of the administration, which any sensible citizen would understand," and insisted, "The ultra-legal provisional enforcement decree must be thoroughly reconsidered."

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