People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon [Yonhap]

The People Power Party said Friday it would pursue legal challenges — including a competence dispute before the Constitutional Court and a constitutional complaint — as the Democratic Party of Korea moved to pass an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code abolishing police supplementary investigative powers at a plenary session of the National Assembly.

Park Chung-kwon, the PPP's chief spokesperson, told reporters at the National Assembly that the party would use "every means and method, including a filibuster," to oppose the bill before it reached the floor, and would follow up with a constitutional complaint through a competence dispute petition.

Park added that the party had itself introduced a competing amendment, and pledged to do everything possible to inform the public of the bill's shortcomings, shape public opinion against it, and ultimately reverse it after it takes effect. "We will make every effort to fully inform the people of the flaws in this law, form public opinion, and bring it back to where it should be," he said.

However, PPP lawmakers plan to boycott the plenary vote. "I understand our lawmakers will not be participating in the vote," Park said, adding that only duty-assigned members would remain in the chamber.

On the Democratic Party's move to pass a session-extension motion to end the filibuster, Park said the current legislative session was set to expire at midnight Friday. "The Democratic Party passed the session-change motion," he said. "I believe all filibusters will be halted around midnight Friday."


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