# South Korea prosecutor reform debate > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korea-police-investigation-reform > Updated: 2026-08-05T00:27:43.000Z. Sources: 20. Developments: 16. The Lee Jae‑myung administration’s amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, passed on 31 May 2026 and set to take effect on 2 October, removed prosecutors’ direct investigative powers and shifted most duties to the police. The change sparked fierce partisan conflict. The opposition People Power Party (PPP) urged President Lee to veto the bill, arguing it would aid criminals and weaken the rule of law; PPP leader Jang Dong‑hyeok also defended the cost of his recent U.S. visit amid criticism. Within the ruling Democratic Party (DP), lawmaker Han Dong‑hoon accused the party of using the amendment as retaliation for investigations into former President Roh Moo‑hyun and other DP figures. DP leadership candidate Song Young‑gil announced plans to seek impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee‑dae, alleging the chief justice interfered in elections, blocked judicial nominations and fast‑tracked a verdict against President Lee for political reasons. President Lee has not exercised a veto, and the debate over the reform and broader judicial accountability continues. ## Claims - The amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act removes prosecutors' right to request supplementary investigations. (disputed by 10 sources) - The amendment includes a fast‑track procedural reform reducing the maximum review period from 330 days to 90 days. (corroborated by 6 sources) - The Democratic Party plans to move the amendment to the full committee and plenary session on 30 July. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Both ruling and opposition parties agreed on a special prosecutor law to investigate the 6·3 local‑election ballot‑shortage scandal, and the bill passed in the National Assembly on 30 July. (corroborated by 5 sources) - The amendment expands victims', complainants' and accusers' rights to appeal police non‑prosecution decisions. (corroborated by 4 sources) - People Power Party members walked out of the sub‑committee meeting and refused to vote, calling the process a legislative overreach. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The amendment adds new grounds for dismissing a prosecution when based on serious illegal investigation or gross abuse of discretion. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The amendment requires electronic recording of investigation procedures and storage in the KICS system. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The revised law will take effect on 2 October 2024. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The National Assembly extended the special‑investigation committee’s term by about a month, scheduling a re‑examination of 2.47 million ballot boxes on 18 August at the Olympic Park handball arena. (corroborated by 2 sources) - President Lee Jae‑Myung has 15 days to veto or sign the bill after its transmission. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Han Dong‑hoon accused the Democratic Party of pursuing the criminal‑procedure amendment out of revenge for investigations into former President Roh Moo‑hyun and other Democratic politicians. (single source) - The amendment was passed by the National Assembly on May 31. (single source) - President Lee Jae‑myung did not exercise a veto on the amendment on May 4. (single source) - Song Young‑gil announced he will pursue impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee‑dae. (single source) - Song accused Cho of refusing to nominate Supreme Court judges, cooperating with martial‑law measures, and interfering in elections. (single source) - Song claimed Cho’s handling of Lee Jae‑myung’s appeal case was fast‑tracked to a guilty verdict for political reasons. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-05: South Korea's Democratic Party criticized over judicial reform and Supreme Court impeachment Han Dong‑hoon says the Democratic Party’s criminal‑procedure amendment is revenge for Roh‑related probes; Song Young‑gil vows to impeach Supreme Court chief Cho over alleged judge‑nomination delays and election 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-president-lee-jae-myung-advances-judicial-reforms-as-opposition-pushes-impeachment-of-s ### 2026-08-03: South Korea's People Power Party opposes prosecution reform and defends US trip spending South Korea's People Power Party urges President Lee to veto a prosecution‑power bill and defends leader Jang Dong‑hyeok’s US trip spending as modest compared to past trips. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-koreas-people-power-party-opposes-prosecution-reform-and-defends-us-trip-spending ### 2026-08-02: South Korea Parliament Set to End 10-Year Vacancy of Special Inspector South Korea's ruling and opposition parties have each nominated a former prosecutor—Choi Gil‑soo and Kang Ji‑sik—to fill the long‑empty special inspector post, aiming to complete the appointment before the Sept 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-parliament-set-to-end-10-year-vacancy-of-special-inspector ### 2026-07-31: South Korea's National Assembly strips prosecutors of investigative powers South Korea’s parliament voted 175‑2 to strip prosecutors of investigative powers, effective 2 Oct 2024; President Lee has 15 days to act, while critics warn of victim‑protection gaps. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-koreas-national-assembly-advances-prosecution-reform-bill ### 2026-07-28: South Korea's National Assembly approves special prosecutor law and moves to end prosecution’s direct investigative role South Korea’s National Assembly approved a special prosecutor law for the election ballot‑shortage scandal and is set to remove prosecutors’ supplementary‑investigation powers while cutting fast‑track review to 16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-koreas-national-assembly-passes-amendment-removing-prosecutors-supplementary-investigation-aut ### 2026-07-25: South Korea prosecutor sentenced, Justice Minister and acting prosecutor eye resignations amid investigation authority改革 South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld a ten‑month (suspended) prison sentence for a prosecutor who leaked a warrant copy, while Justice Minister Jung Sung‑ho and acting Prosecutor General Gu Ja‑hyun are expectedto 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-prosecutor-sentenced-justice-minister-and-acting-prosecutor-eye-resignations-amid-invest ### 2026-07-24: South Korean parties battle over plan to scrap prosecutors' supplementary investigation power South Korea's ruling and opposition parties clash over a Democratic‑backed bill to abolish the prosecutor's supplementary investigation authority, prompting criticism from People Power leaders and highlighting深 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-koreas-democratic-party-calls-for-end-to-prosecutors-direct-investigation-powers ### 2026-07-21: South Korean political scandals deepen as investigations target parties, prosecutors and officials South Korea faces multiple political scandals: PPP’s non‑competitive party elections, claims Yoon used the NIS for a security list, a special probe of a Unification Church official, prosecutors’ association opp 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-debates-abolition-of-prosecutors-supplementary-investigation-authority ### 2026-07-12: South Korea debates ending prosecutors' supplementary investigation power South Korea's ruling party seeks to scrap prosecutors' supplementary investigation power, sparking internal dissent and opposition from the Supreme Court, Justice Ministry and the People Power Party, who demand 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-koreas-supreme-court-urges-safeguards-in-proposed-prosecution-probe-reforms ### 2026-07-09: South Korea's Parliament Debates Cuts to Prosecutor Powers Amid Party Clash South Korea's ruling party pushes a bill to scrap prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority, while the opposition resists and also criticises the extension of the special prosecutor's term. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-koreas-parliament-debates-cuts-to-prosecutor-powers-amid-party-clash ### 2026-07-06: South Korea's Democratic Party moves to overhaul criminal procedure law South Korea's Democratic Party has tabled amendments to abolish the prosecutor’s supplemental investigation right, add third‑party special prosecutor recommendations, and reinstate prior‑indictment referral, sp 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-debates-prosecutors-supplementary-investigation-powers-amid-criminal-procedure-law-overh ### 2026-06-30: South Korea faces unprecedented police leadership vacuum South Korea’s police chief and the head of the National Investigation Bureau are both vacant, creating a historic leadership gap that threatens ongoing investigations and upcoming reforms. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-faces-unprecedented-police-leadership-vacuum ### 2026-06-26: Opposition leader Jeong Jeom-sik slams govt for abandoning supplementary investigation authority PPP leader Jeong Jeom-sik condemned the South Korean government for not submitting a bill to drop the supplementary investigation authority, accusing it of political maneuvering ahead of the Democratic Party’s 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-opposition-says-government-dropped-supplementary-investigation-authority-for-political-a ### 2026-06-23: South Korea government backs full abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority South Korea’s prime minister confirms the government will scrap prosecutors’ supplementary investigation authority, while details on the new Central Serious Crime Investigation Agency remain unsettled. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-koreas-new-major-crime-investigation-office-faces-staffing-and-legal-hurdles-ahead-of-october- ### 2026-06-23: South Korea police investigation unit exam sees record applications South Korea’s police investigation officer exam attracted a record 12,960 applicants, up 21% year‑on‑year, signaling rising interest in investigative careers. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-police-investigation-unit-exam-sees-record-applications ### 2026-06-23: South Korea police recruitment exam draws record 12,960 applicants South Korea’s police investigative exam attracted a record 12,960 applicants, a 21% increase, while attrition in investigative units fell to 7.6% as reforms and new staffing measures take effect. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korea-police-recruitment-exam-draws-record-12960-applicants --- Cite as: South Korea prosecutor reform debate. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korea-police-investigation-reform