Baek Hyeryun: "Prosecution Service Act Amendment Bill to be Submitted Next Week... Leaving People Power Party's Authority Intact"

"Backup Plan if Not Recommended by People Power Party"

Baek Hye-ryun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving a proposal explanation on the partial amendment bill of the Housing Lease Protection Act and others at the National Assembly plenary session on the 30th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The People Power Party's bill to eliminate the nomination right for the head candidate of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HCIO) will be submitted to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Legislation Committee) next week. This reflects the Democratic Party's determination to no longer delay the launch of the HCIO, which has been stalled due to opposition from the People Power Party.

Baek Hye-ryun, the ruling party's floor whip in the Legislation Committee, appeared on KBS Radio's "Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs" on the 18th and said, "The HCIO Act will be submitted to the full Legislation Committee meeting next Monday," adding, "The proposal by Rep. Kim Yong-min will be submitted first."

She continued, "It will then move to the subcommittee, where schedules will be set and discussions will continue. In any case, I think it should be processed within the regular session of the National Assembly."

Rep. Kim Yong-min of the Democratic Party's proposal calls for "four nominations by the National Assembly" regardless of party affiliation. This leaves room for further negotiation through future National Assembly rules. Under the current HCIO Act, the candidate nomination committee for the HCIO head must consist of seven members: the Minister of Justice, the Chief of the Court Administration, the President of the Korean Bar Association, two nominees from the ruling party, and two from the opposition negotiation groups.

The amendment bills submitted by Rep. Baek and Rep. Park Beom-gye of the Democratic Party specify appointing or commissioning the President of the Korean Law Professors Association and the Chairperson of the Council of Law Schools, who are ex officio members of the Supreme Court Justice Nomination Committee under the Court Organization Act, as HCIO head candidate nomination committee members.

However, it appears they intend to first submit Rep. Kim Yong-min's proposal, which has more room for negotiation.

Rep. Baek said, "I understand that negotiations between the floor leaders are ongoing," adding, "Floor Leader Joo Ho-young (People Power Party) said he would agree if candidates for the Special Inspector and directors of the North Korean Human Rights Foundation are nominated, so we accepted that. However, there has been a stalemate as they say 'do it first.' Meanwhile, Floor Leader Kim Tae-nyeon (Democratic Party) is exercising patience and continuing negotiations on the direction of simultaneous progress."

She also said, "I want to make it clear that the opposition party's right to nominate candidates remains intact," explaining, "The nomination right remains, but if they do not nominate, as a supplementary measure, the President of the Korean Law Professors Association and the Chairperson of the Council of Law Schools, who are ex officio members of the Supreme Court Justice Nomination Committee under the Court Organization Act, will be designated by the Speaker of the National Assembly as nomination committee members."

She emphasized, "There have been repeated media reports claiming that the opposition party's nomination rights have been stripped, but that is not true."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.