Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of South Korea’s Democratic Party, speaks Friday during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today
July 31 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's National Assembly passed legislation Friday eliminating prosecutors' authority to conduct direct and supplementary investigations, advancing a major restructuring of the country's criminal justice system.
Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the governing Democratic Party, said before the vote that the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act would mark the beginning of a new system rather than the end of prosecution reform.
"Today's revision of the Criminal Procedure Act is not the end of prosecution reform but the beginning of a new criminal justice system," Han said during a party Supreme Council meeting.
He said the government and governing party must prevent investigative gaps and ensure that crime victims and other citizens remain protected during the transition.
