KB News Desk
The main opposition People Power Party on Monday upped calls for President Lee Jae Myung to veto a proposed revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which is expected to be put to a vote at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Despite rising calls from conservatives, expectations are rising that the bill will be approved.
On Monday, the People Power Party’s leadership, including Chair Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, held a meeting of its supreme council near the presidential office and called on Lee to veto the bill, aimed at abolishing the prosecution’s direct investigative powers.
Jang said that the ruling Democratic Party insists the revision is a “good law” despite opposition from the bar, the public and some of its own members.
“If (Lee) refuses to veto the bill, the people’s call for his impeachment will only get stronger to protect Korea,” Jang said, saying that the bill is widely criticized by legal professionals and the public, as well as some within the ruling party.
Jang also said that the proposed law revision would dismantle Korea’s 78-year-old justice system, and it would take a long time, or could even be impossible, to rebuild.
People Power Party Floor Leader Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig accused the Democratic Party of undermining the justice system and the presidential office of ignoring voices outside the ruling party.
The government, however, appears poised to take a different course.
On Friday, Cheong Wa Dae said that it “respects the Assembly’s legislative process and its final decision,” and that it will endeavor to ensure that the changes are “put into practice.”
The bill is expected to be put to a vote at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, and the president is unlikely to veto it.
Instead, the government is expected to address concerns raised by the bill by considering additional legislation or revisions to tackle loopholes, including the possibility of police burying cases and calls for stronger protections for crime victims.
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho’s remarks on Monday also suggest that a presidential veto is unlikely.
“People are mentioning it, but it is not possible to propose a veto to the president,” Jung said.
Jung also stressed the need for follow-up legislation, saying additional measures would be necessary alongside the decision to forward to prosecutors all police cases involving seven categories of crimes, including child abuse, domestic violence, sex crimes, stalking, abuse of people with disabilities and elder abuse.
This comes days after Jung’s Facebook post on Saturday, when he referred to the revised Criminal Procedure Act as a “fundamental change” and said, “(We) shall not hesitate to promptly supplement or amend the law should unexpected side effects emerge.”
