South Korean parties battle over plan to scrap prosecutors' supplementary investigation power

The Democratic Party (DP) voted to adopt a criminal‑procedure amendment that would eliminate the prosecutor's supplementary investigation authority (보완수사권). The proposal also creates a special investigative agency for serious crimes and expands police powers, including a system of "full referral" for certain offences.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has attacked the move. Party leader 정점식 called Justice Minister 정성호's resignation in response to the DP's proposal a "sign of a lame‑duck government" and warned that the change signals a "Lee Jae‑myung government dead‑hand". PPP chair 장동혁 labeled the bill a reckless experiment and demanded a special prosecutor investigation, while other PPP figures urged the party to set its own course.

The dispute underscores deep divisions in South Korea over prosecutorial reform, with the DP seeking to separate investigation from prosecution and the PPP cautioning that the reforms could destabilise the legal system and entrench the ruling party’s power.