Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon invited the victim of the Busan spin-kick attack to the National Assembly on Tuesday to hear her views on a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act — passed by the Cabinet the same day — that would completely abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers.
The forum, titled "Supplementary Investigation Banned: The Gates of Hell Have Opened," was held at the National Assembly building and hosted by Han's office. It was attended by Han, the victim — identified by the pseudonym Kim Jinju — and 11 People Power Party lawmakers.
Participants shared a common view that abolishing supplementary investigation powers would ultimately harm ordinary citizens. Han said President Lee Jae-myung had not exercised his veto over the ban on Tuesday, calling it "a declaration that he will side with murderers like Jang Yun-gi."
Watching footage related to the Busan spin-kick case, Han said supplementary investigation is the process by which "prosecutors and investigators identify gaps in a police inquiry," adding that abolishing the power would mean "prosecutors can no longer summon suspects to their offices for questioning."
On the Democratic Party's emphasis on retaining the right to request supplementary investigations, Han argued that "if you ask the police — who conducted a flawed investigation — to conduct a supplementary one, they will simply say there is no problem," and that "a request for supplementary investigation does nothing to resolve the issue."
Kim, who said she benefited from prosecutors' supplementary investigation in her own case, also spoke out against the abolition. "It took two months to recover after the crime," she said. "By the time I was discharged from hospital, the case had already been referred to prosecutors, and the police asked me — a victim who had lost her memory — whether I thought I had been sexually assaulted. I believe cases like mine will keep happening if supplementary investigation powers are abolished."
She added that she considered the judicial system to be "in a precarious state," noting that the initial charge before the case was referred was assault, not attempted murder, and that "prosecutors played a major role in proving it was attempted murder."
People Power Party lawmakers continued their criticism of the abolition. Rep. Park Jeong-hun called it "a serious criminal act that dismantles the judicial system in order to maintain the Democratic Party's grip on power."
Rep. Bae Hyun-jin said the harm caused by abolishing supplementary investigation powers "is not something that will only happen to those without money or influence — it can happen to any citizen."
Kim said that "because everyone makes mistakes, safeguards are needed on both sides," warning that "if supplementary investigation powers are abolished, there will be no protective mechanism left for victims."
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