"Inspection Completion Ban" Mediation Proposal Includes "Temporary Retention of Direct Investigation Authority and Legislation of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency Within 6 Months"

Speaker Park Byeong-seok Conveys to Ruling and Opposition Floor Leaders
Judicial Reform Special Committee Composed of 7 Democratic Party and 5 People Power Party Members

Speaker of the National Assembly Park Byeong-seok is announcing his position on prosecution reform at the Speaker's Office on the 22nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the 22nd, it was revealed that the so-called 'Complete Removal of Prosecution's Investigation Rights (Geomsu Wanbak)' legislative mediation plan delivered by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok to the ruling and opposition floor leaders includes separating the prosecution's direct investigation rights and prosecution rights, while maintaining the prosecution's direct investigation rights temporarily.

Speaker Park delivered this mediation plan containing such details to both parties on the same day. The mediation plan, consisting of a total of eight points, proposes separating the prosecution's direct investigation rights and prosecution rights, with the prosecution's direct investigation rights being temporary, and even in cases of direct investigation, the investigating and prosecuting prosecutors are to be separated.

Secondly, regarding the prosecution's existing investigation of six major crimes, it suggests "removing public official crimes, election crimes, defense industry crimes, and large-scale disasters," and states that "once other investigative agencies outside the prosecution reach a certain level of crime response capability, the prosecution's direct investigation rights will be abolished."

It also proposes "reducing the total amount of prosecution's direct investigations by cutting the six special divisions to three," and "limiting the number of prosecutors in the remaining three special divisions to a certain level."

The mediation plan also includes forming a Judicial Reform Special Committee, which will be granted the authority to review bills, to conduct in-depth discussions on the overall judicial system, including the tentative 'Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Korean-style FBI).' The Serious Crime Investigation Agency is to complete legislative measures within six months after the committee's formation and aims to be launched within one year. The Judicial Reform Special Committee consists of 13 members, with the chairperson from the Democratic Party, and members composed of seven from the Democratic Party, five from the People Power Party, and one from a non-negotiating group.

Additionally, the plan includes incorporating crimes committed by officials of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gongsoocheo) into the prosecution's duties, processing the prosecution reform bill during this April's extraordinary session of the National Assembly, and implementing it four months after promulgation.

On the day, Speaker Park said, "The Speaker has conveyed to the floor leadership of both parties the decision on the National Assembly's operation direction reflecting the positions of the parties that accepted the mediation plan proposed from the perspective of national interest and the people," and added, "I hope that the ruling and opposition party members' meetings today will discuss and agree on the mediation plan. I appeal to resolve the issue of prosecution reform and focus on urgent livelihood issues."

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