Lead

SEOUL — South Korea's National Assembly, led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), was set to vote on a bill that would strip the prosecution of its direct investigative powers, as an opposition filibuster to block the move neared its 24-hour mark on Friday.

The DP is expected to push for the passage of the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act during a plenary session at around 4 p.m., after ending a filibuster launched by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) the previous day, according to Yonhap News.

If approved, the revision would strip the prosecution of its authority to conduct direct investigations, including supplementary investigations.

Coverage comparison

All three reports from Yonhap News — the only outlet whose coverage of this story I have seen — describe the same core events: the DP's proposal of the bill, the PPP's filibuster to block it, and the DP's expectation of securing enough votes to end the filibuster and bring the bill to a vote. The reports consistently note that the DP, which holds 161 seats in the Assembly, is expected to secure the necessary votes with support from minor opposition parties and independents.

The reports also align on the procedural detail that a filibuster can be stopped after 24 hours if at least three-fifths of all parliament members, or 180 lawmakers, vote to end it.

One report, carrying the latest update, specifies that the plenary session is scheduled for around 4 p.m., while an earlier report mentions 3 p.m. as the scheduled time. Another report adds that the PPP plans to stage another filibuster against a separate measure to shorten the review period for fast-tracked bills, though it will automatically end at midnight when the current extra parliamentary session expires.

Key claims

  • The National Assembly was set to vote on a bill, led by the DP, to amend the Criminal Procedure Act and strip the prosecution of its direct investigative powers.
  • The PPP launched a filibuster on July 30 to block the bill, with Rep. Joo Ho-young starting the debate.
  • A filibuster can be ended after 24 hours if at least three-fifths of all lawmakers, or 180 members, vote to do so.
  • The DP has been pushing prosecution reform legislation that calls for dismantling the prosecution and creating two new agencies, each tasked with handling investigations and indictments.
  • The Assembly is set to introduce a revision to the National Assembly Act to shorten the review period for fast-tracked bills from a maximum of 330 days to 90 days.
  • A special counsel bill to investigate ballot shortages that marred the June 3 local elections was approved in a 226-2 vote, with the counsel team given up to 90 days for the inquiry, extendable twice by 30 days each.
  • The rival parties agreed to extend the mandate of a parliamentary special committee investigating the incident.

Perspectives

Ruling Democratic Party (DP)

The DP argues that prosecutorial reform is necessary and has advanced legislation to strip the prosecution of its direct investigative powers as part of a broader plan to dismantle the prosecution and create two separate agencies for investigations and indictments.

Main opposition People Power Party (PPP)

The PPP opposes the bill, with Rep. Joo Ho-young stating: "Although prosecutorial reform is necessary, it is wrong to strip the prosecution of all its powers simply because it has made mistakes." The party has launched a filibuster to block the legislation.