Kim Min-seok, Jeong Cheong-rae, Song Young-gil meet; engage in indirect 'nerve war' over supplementary investigation rights

A subtle but clear disagreement emerged among leading Democratic Party figures Kim Min-seok, Jeong Cheong-rae, and Song Young-gil regarding prosecutorial reform, specifically the contentious issue of supplementary investigation rights. The exchange took place during a party workshop in Seoul, revealing differing perspectives on the urgency and political handling of the reforms.

“

I judged that it would be good to process the prosecutorial reform laws, including the issue of supplementary investigation rights, early on and delivered it to the party (in May). If it had been processed in May, we could have had more leeway.

Kim Min-seok, a potential candidate for the party leadership, stated that he had urged the party in May to expedite the processing of prosecutorial reform laws, including the abolition of supplementary investigation rights for prosecutors. He expressed regret that the matter was not resolved earlier, suggesting it would have allowed for more flexibility.

Jeong Cheong-rae, another contender for party leader, directly countered Kim's account. Jeong firmly denied any recollection of the government proposing such legislation in May or requesting its swift passage. He questioned the absence of a formal bill if one existed, suggesting it might not have been submitted.

“

To be clear, I have never heard of such a proposal in May, nor do I have any memory of it. The government did not submit a bill. There is a possibility that a bill was not prepared. If it was prepared, what is the reason for not submitting it?

Song Young-gil, also vying for the leadership, advised against turning the supplementary investigation rights issue into a political weapon. He argued that framing it as a conflict with the government for the sake of the upcoming party convention was undesirable. Song emphasized that the matter should be resolved through discussions with the government.

“

The issue of supplementary investigation rights should not be politicized. It is not desirable to make it an issue as if fighting the government in the context of the party convention.

The debate touched upon the specifics of reform, with Jeong explaining that abolishing supplementary investigation rights does not mean complete elimination, but could involve granting limited rights like emergency requests or confirmation powers. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon commented that while the government may have a stance, legislative power rests with the National Assembly, indicating that the discussion would proceed in parliament.

“

Even if the government has a position (on supplementary investigation rights), the people sitting there (Democratic Party lawmakers) say that legislative power belongs to the National Assembly. Therefore, the discussion on supplementary investigation rights will take place in the National Assembly.