Prosecutors' Office Launch Possible Within the Year...Ruling Party Faces Solo 'Label'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] If the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HCIO) Act is amended, the ruling party alone could appoint the HCIO chief, allowing the HCIO to officially launch as early as this year. This is because, with the opposition party's veto power nullified, the People Power Party's recommended members have decided not to participate. Ultimately, the inaugural HCIO will carry the stigma of being formed without bipartisan agreement, raising concerns about fairness. The Democratic Party of Korea maintains that this was an unavoidable choice since the People Power Party blocked the HCIO's launch itself.

Kim Jong-min, a senior Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party and a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 10th and said, "If we speed up the recommendation of the HCIO chief candidate and the final confirmation hearing, it seems possible within this year."

The HCIO Chief Candidate Recommendation Committee consists of seven members, requiring six approvals, but the two opposition-recommended members have expressed dissent, causing repeated deadlocks. However, the amendment to the HCIO Act lowers the quorum to two-thirds of the total members, making it possible to pass with just five votes. The amendment's supplementary provisions also apply this quorum rule to the existing recommendation committee.

Lee Heon, a lawyer recommended by the opposition, stated in a Facebook post titled "Opposition-recommended HCIO Chief Candidates Inform You" the day before, "If legislation that removes the opposition's veto power, which guarantees political neutrality, is enforced, we will consider all extraordinary measures, including resignation or legal action." In response, Representative Kim said, "Even if some members do not attend the meeting, the meeting quorum will still be met."

From the People Power Party's perspective, participating in a recommendation committee without veto power would be merely symbolic, so they are likely to emphasize that the HCIO was launched solely by the ruling party without their participation. The Democratic Party plans to launch the HCIO promptly.

Kim said, "Among the currently recommended candidates, we can recommend two final candidates, and since some time has passed, if there are newer and better candidates, we can discuss them. The Democratic Party has no plans for additional recommendations yet, but if the recommendation committee meets again, opinions will be sought."

The Democratic Party aims to complete as many reform tasks as possible within this year and focus on overcoming the economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) next year. Rather than delaying further, it is likely that candidates from the existing recommended pool will be appointed. In the recommendation committee, Kim Jin-wook, a senior researcher at the Constitutional Court, and lawyer Jeon Hyun-jung each received five votes.

If the recommendation committee recommends two candidates from the existing pool, the president will appoint one final candidate, and after a confirmation hearing within 20 days, the inaugural HCIO chief can be appointed by the end of this year or early next year.

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