Prosecution Requests Presidential Veto Exercise (Comprehensive)

Seoul Seocho-dong Supreme Prosecutors' Office / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] On the day before the enforcement of the 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights (Geomsu Wanbak)' bill, the prosecution requested Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye to ask the Minister of Government Legislation for a review of the re-deliberation request and recommended submitting the re-deliberation proposal to the State Council.

On the 2nd, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office sent an official letter to Minister Park recommending that, pursuant to Article 53 of the Constitution and Article 13, Paragraph 2 of the Regulations on Legislative Affairs, he request the Minister of Government Legislation to review the re-deliberation request and submit the re-deliberation proposal to the State Council.

That afternoon, Minister Park told reporters on his way home, "I received an official letter from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office asking for a re-deliberation request," adding, "The Ministry of Justice plans to send the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's opinion without separately expressing the necessity for the re-deliberation request. I just approved it a moment ago."

Regarding why the Ministry of Justice did not issue a separate judgment, Minister Park explained, "Because it partially relates to the constitutional dispute trial or the re-deliberation request concerning the President currently under review by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office," and added, "I will refrain from further comments in that regard."

The President must promulgate a bill passed by the National Assembly plenary session within 15 days after it is sent to the government. If there is an objection, the President can return the bill to the National Assembly with a statement of objection within 15 days and request re-deliberation. However, if President Moon promulgates the 'Geomsu Wanbak' bill at the State Council meeting on the 3rd, the legislative process will be concluded.

According to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Ministry of Government Legislation sent an official letter requesting the opinions of related ministries regarding the re-deliberation request for the bill on the same day.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office recommended Minister Park request a review of the re-deliberation based on Article 2 (Duties) of the Presidential Decree 'Organization of the Ministry of Government Legislation.' According to this provision, the Ministry of Government Legislation oversees the review of bills and treaties to be submitted to the State Council, the review of Prime Minister's orders, subordinate ordinances, and internal regulations, the drafting of bills at the direction of the President and Prime Minister, overall government legislation, support for legislative maintenance, legal interpretation, review and consultation of bills proposed by the National Assembly, support for local legislation, management and provision of national legal information, and other legislative affairs. This provision stipulates that the Ministry of Government Legislation manages affairs such as reviewing bills to be submitted to the State Council and bills proposed by the National Assembly.

Earlier, the Democratic Party of Korea neutralized the People Power Party's filibuster (unlimited debate) aimed at blocking the passage of the Geomsu Wanbak bill by splitting the session and passed a partial amendment to the Prosecutors' Office Act at the National Assembly plenary session on the 30th of last month. The amendment limits the scope of crimes that prosecutors can directly investigate from the original six major crimes to two categories: corruption crimes and economic crimes, and restricts the scope of supplementary investigations by prosecutors.

The Democratic Party plans to pass a partial amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act at the plenary session on the 3rd.

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