Prosecution Reform Task Force to Gather Public Opinion on Supplementary Investigation Authority for Second-Phase Legislation

The Prosecution Reform Task Force under the Prime Minister's Office announced on March 6 that it is preparing a second-phase legislative bill focused on institutional improvements, such as whether to retain the supplementary investigation authority and how the right to request supplementary investigations will operate. These are key issues in the prosecution reform being pursued by the Lee Jaemyung administration. After gathering public opinion, the bill is expected to be pre-announced as early as June 2026.

No Hyewon, Deputy Director of the Prosecution Reform Task Force, held a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul on the same day, stating, "The first-phase legislative bill, which includes organizational law reforms such as the establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Office Act, has been finalized as the party platform and submitted to the National Assembly. We expect it to be processed by the National Assembly soon. Now that the first-phase legislative bill has been entrusted to the party and the National Assembly, the government will proceed without delay in preparing the follow-up legislation."

Deputy Director No explained, "In the follow-up legislation, discussions will focus on institutional improvements necessary to ensure smooth operation of criminal procedures after the separation of investigation and prosecution, including whether to abolish the supplementary investigation authority and whether any exceptions are needed, as well as practical and effective ways for the right to request supplementary investigations to function." She added, "Throughout these discussions, the protection of citizens' human rights and the realization of substantive remedies will be our top priorities, and we will design the system in a way that faithfully reflects the original intent of prosecution reform."

She especially reiterated the need for 'social debate' in advancing the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, which is central to the prosecution reform plan, emphasizing, "For this second-phase legislation as well, we will systematically proceed with the process of building public consensus and coordinate with the party." To this end, more than ten forums will be held by mid-April 2026 with relevant organizations such as the Korean Bar Association, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, and the Korean Society of Criminal Law. Forums will be held not only in the Seoul metropolitan area but also in regional locations. Through these efforts, the government aims to pre-announce the legislative bill as early as June 2026. Earlier, Prime Minister Kim Minseok also stated at a press conference last month, "It would be desirable to resolve the key issues before June at the latest."

Deputy Director No stated, "Through this process, we will prepare a prosecution reform bill that is 'of the people, by the people, and for the people.'"

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