South Korean political leaders clash over investigative powers and party reforms

South Korean political leaders are engaged in disputes regarding police investigative procedures and internal party reforms. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-bae criticized the People Power Party for linking recent missing persons cases in Jeju to the debate over abolishing the prosecution's supplementary investigative powers. Kim argued that the Jeju incidents are administrative failures within the police system rather than criminal investigation matters, accusing the opposition of using the tragedies to advance their political agenda.

Separately, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon attended a forum where they expressed shared criticism of People Power Party leadership. They specifically addressed a proposal by Representative Jang Dong-hyuk to have party members re-elect all local chapter chairpersons. Han characterized the move as an attempt to turn a public political party into a private organization, while Oh emphasized the need for leadership that focuses on party integration and expansion.