Acting leader calls on Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik to set schedule by June 30

Shin Jang-sik, acting leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, delivers opening remarks at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Monday. [Yonhap]
Shin Jang-sik, acting leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, delivers opening remarks at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Monday. [Yonhap]

Shin Jang-sik, acting leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, urged lawmakers Monday to "truly finish prosecution reform before Constitution Day," calling on National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik to set the Assembly's legislative schedule through June 30 in accordance with Assembly rules.

Speaking at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly, Shin said pushing through prosecution-related legislation — including amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure — was "a promise President Lee Jae-myung made to the people." He said public consensus on the matter was firm, describing its core demand as separating indictment authority from investigative powers.

Shin dismissed suggestions that prosecution reform should wait until the ruling party completes its leadership race. "Prosecution reform has nothing to do with the ruling party's leadership contest," he said. "Why delay this until after the Democratic Party elects its new leader? Would reform go forward if candidate Hong Gil-dong wins, but not if candidate Jeon U-chi wins?"

He also pressed Speaker Cho to act decisively, urging him to consult with floor leaders but to set the schedule unilaterally if no agreement is reached. Shin called on Cho to appoint members to the Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and ensure that the procedural steps needed to advance prosecution reform legislation — including the criminal procedure code revision — are carried out.

Shin also warned both the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party that growing disputes over supplementary investigative powers and the principle of full-case transfer were raising doubts about whether the new Public Prosecution Service and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency would be properly up and running by Oct. 2. "If they are not properly established even a year before the general election next spring, prosecutors may retain their investigative powers — and we could see the blade of retaliation swung at political circles, particularly those who pushed for prosecution reform," he warned.


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