Legislation Subcommittee Passes Special Tribunal for Treason and Legal Distortion Bills Led by Democratic Party

On December 1, a bill to establish a 'Special Tribunal for Treason' (Special Tribunal for Treason) dedicated to handling treason cases involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol and others in connection with the December 3 Martial Law Incident passed the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on bill examination.

The subcommittee also passed the 'Crime of Legal Distortion' bill, which allows for the punishment of judges and prosecutors who intentionally distort the law or manipulate facts during trials or investigations, as well as an amendment to the 'Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act' (CIO Act) that expands the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' authority to investigate all crimes, not just those related to official duties.

People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyungwon protests against Kim Yongmin, co-chairman from the Democratic Party, opposing the ruling party-led discussion on the establishment of a 'specialized court for rebellion' during the first subcommittee meeting on bill examination of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee held on the 1st in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

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On this day, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held its first subcommittee meeting on bill examination, led by the Democratic Party, and approved the 'Special Act on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal and Protection of Whistleblowers regarding the December 3 Yoon Suk-yeol Martial Law Incident,' the 'Criminal Act Amendment' (Crime of Legal Distortion), and the 'Amendment to the Act on the Establishment and Operation of the CIO.'

The People Power Party opposed this and left the meeting room just before the subcommittee's vote.

After the meeting, Kim Yongmin, chair of the first subcommittee on bill examination, said at a briefing, "The public distrusts treason trials, and there is widespread anger over the perception that trials are not being properly conducted and are unfair. The National Assembly exercised its authority to pass the special tribunal bill as quickly as possible to bring an end to the illegal December 3 martial law and treason incident."

According to the special act, a Special Tribunal for Treason must be established for both the first and appellate (second) trials. A new provision for appointing special judges to issue warrants in treason cases was also introduced.

While the Criminal Procedure Act limits the detention period for defendants to a maximum of six months, the special act allows the detention period for crimes related to treason or foreign aggression to be extended to up to one year.

Chairman Kim explained, "The public is very concerned that the detention periods for those charged with treason are about to expire. Some people are losing sleep at night, worried that the ringleaders of the treason case may be released. Taking these concerns into account, the National Assembly passed a bill that had been under discussion for a long time." He added, "We will soon convene a full session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to vote on the bills passed by the subcommittee today."

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