A scoreboard at the National Assembly shows the result of the vote on the Criminal Procedure Act amendment on Friday, with 175 in favor, 2 opposed and 1 abstention among 178 members present. The bill had been put to a floor vote on Thursday. [Yonhap]
A scoreboard at the National Assembly shows the result of the vote on the Criminal Procedure Act amendment on Friday, with 175 in favor, 2 opposed and 1 abstention among 178 members present. The bill had been put to a floor vote on Thursday. [Yonhap]

The Democratic Party of Korea said Friday that the National Assembly's passage of a bill stripping prosecutors of their direct investigative powers was "the Assembly's response to the people's mandate to reform a prosecution that has abused its unchecked authority."

Floor spokesperson Lee Ju-hee said in a written briefing that day that "the separation of investigation and indictment — the prosecution reform the people demanded — has at last been completed."

Lee said the criminal justice framework in place for more than 70 years would now be rebuilt on the principle of separating investigation from indictment. "Investigative agencies will now conduct investigations properly, and prosecutors will focus on maintaining public prosecutions to protect the fundamental rights of the people," she said.

She added that although the People Power Party had dragged out the process with unlimited debate from start to finish, "the clock of reform does not stop." The party's remaining priorities would center on people's livelihoods, she said, pledging to work toward passing an amendment to the National Assembly Act to shorten the fast track review period, as well as livelihood bills pending before the full chamber.


sunpine@heraldcorp.com