Democratic Party Adopts 'Geomsu Wanbak' as Party Policy... "Unanimously Approved Without a Vote"

Yoon Ho-jung, Co-Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea's Emergency Response Committee, is delivering opening remarks at the Policy Members' General Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

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[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The Democratic Party of Korea held a party caucus on the 12th and reached a consensus to pass a reform bill separating the prosecution's investigative and prosecutorial powers within April. Additionally, to strengthen the oversight function over the police, they prepared supplementary measures such as establishing an inspection body while retaining the prosecution's control functions.

The Democratic Party held a caucus in the afternoon and, after about four hours of discussion, reached this conclusion.

Oh Young-hwan, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, told reporters immediately after the caucus, "The prosecution's investigative and prosecutorial powers will be completely separated," and "the related laws will be passed within April."

He added, "Various methods to strengthen the oversight, monitoring, and control functions over the police will be pursued simultaneously," explaining, "In terms of content, an independent inspection body will be established to make police personnel authority transparent and independent, and the prosecution's control functions over police duties such as investigations will be retained."

Furthermore, he explained, "This does not mean that the entire plan for establishing investigative agencies will be completed within April; matters to be pursued after the separation of investigative powers will also consider establishing bodies through bipartisan agreement."

Regarding the decision-making process, he said, "After Q&A sessions, nearly 20 members participated in the discussion, and the floor leader requested party consensus approval," adding, "Members agreed, and it was adopted as party consensus without a vote." He continued, "It can be considered unanimously approved," and "detailed legislative promotion was decided to be delegated to the party leadership."

In the long term, they plan to pursue the establishment of a separate investigative agency. Spokesperson Oh explained, "While further strengthening the existing autonomous police system, we have decided as party consensus to pursue, in the long term, the separation of national investigative functions into a separate investigative agency that handles all police investigative functions, represented by a National Investigation Headquarters similar to a Korean-style FBI."

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