Transition Committee: "Legislation Office also concerned about complete review bypass... President-elect Yoon to exercise veto power" (Update)

Yongho Lee, Secretary of the Political, Judicial, and Administrative Subcommittee of the Presidential Transition Committee, and Sunae Park, a member of the Transition Committee, are making a statement on the legislative push for 'Complete Prosecution Reform' at the Transition Committee press conference hall in Tongui-dong, Seoul, on the 19th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

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[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Presidential Transition Committee (Transition Committee) stated that even if the so-called 'Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights' (Geomsu Wanbak) pushed by the Democratic Party of Korea is passed into law, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol will exercise his veto power. In particular, citing the Ministry of Government Legislation's opinion that "there is a concern it could cause confusion in international criminal judicial procedures," the committee urged the Democratic Party to immediately halt the legislative process.

On the 21st, Lee Yong-ho, spokesperson for the Political, Judicial, and Administrative Affairs Subcommittee of the Transition Committee, held a briefing in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, saying, "(This is) the third time we have made a statement, but I no longer want to stand here," and emphasized, "The Geomsu Wanbak law conflicts with numerous other laws, inevitably causing great confusion in the criminal justice system, and many citizens are likely to suffer serious damage in the process."

Lee mentioned the Ministry of Government Legislation's opinion that "it regresses citizens' human rights and may cause chaos in international criminal judicial procedures," pointing out, "By nullifying the prosecutor's right to request warrants at the legal level, there is a possibility of unconstitutionality, and allowing judicial police officers to directly request post-facto warrants from the court without going through prosecutors is unconstitutional and highly likely to infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right to personal liberty."

He also brought up the 'Fair Trade Act' and the 'Franchise Business Act,' which stipulate that related crimes must be exclusively reported to the Prosecutor General. Lee argued that if the Geomsu Wanbak law passes, it will be difficult to discover substantive truth and gaps in punishment will inevitably occur, causing serious harm primarily to powerless small and medium-sized enterprises, self-employed individuals, and the unspecified majority of citizens.

Regarding the possibility of the Geomsu Wanbak law being passed after the inauguration, Lee said, "In my view, it is natural that (President-elect Yoon) will exercise his veto power." He added, "Considering the current situation in the National Assembly, it is unlikely that the new Yoon Seok-yeol government will see it passed. Such an assumption is inappropriate," and expressed hope that such a situation would not occur.

About President-elect Yoon emphasizing public livelihood to avoid the 'Prosecutor Republic' frame, Lee explained, "Since the Geomsu Wanbak law is an issue that occurred in the National Assembly, it is basically inappropriate for the President-elect to comment on it," and added, "While it can be seen as a matter of public livelihood in terms of the harm caused if the law passes, it is inappropriate for the President-elect to mention it at this stage, in our view."

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