“The Busan roundhouse kick case is a case that has impressed upon the entire nation the importance of supplementary investigations and the supplementation of evidence.” 

The People Power Party has strongly criticized the Democratic Party of Korea’s official adoption of the “abolition of the prosecution’s supplementary investigation authority” as a party platform, labeling it a “political legislative rampage that completely disregards public concern and opposition.”

Park Sung-hoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a commentary on the 24th, “Supplementary investigation authority is a minimal safety net for correcting sloppy investigations, supplementing missing evidence, and uncovering the substantive truth of a case,” adding, “Abolishing this is no different from declaring that they are voluntarily abandoning the completeness of investigations and kicking away the very last safety mechanism for responding to crime.”

Citing the Busan roundhouse kick case as an example, Chief Spokesperson Park remarked, “It is a case that has impressed upon the entire nation the importance of supplementary investigations and the supplementation of evidence.” 

He also argued, “The Jang Yoon-ki case also showed that what the public wants is not political slogans, but investigations that uncover the truth to the end,” and added, “Yet, the Democratic Party is attempting to tear down even the minimum institutional foundations for uncovering the truth.”

Furthermore, he expressed concern that if even the prosecution's supplementary investigations were to be blocked, the harm would ultimately fall upon crime victims and the powerless public. He continued his sharp criticism, stating, “While those in power may be able to evade responsibility, victims are left with irreversible wounds. I cannot help but feel devastated by the arrogance and self-righteousness of the Democratic Party, which shows no sense of responsibility even after so easily dismantling the criminal justice system that is directly linked to the lives of the people.”

In addition, he noted that even if the Democratic Party packages this as ‘prosecution reform,’ what the public has experienced is ‘investigative confusion’ and ‘evasion of responsibility,’ asking, “Is there no reflection on past failures, and are you intending to once again treat the criminal justice system as a subject for political experimentation?”

Chief Spokesperson Park pointedly asked, “Who exactly is this ‘public’ that the Democratic Party refers to?” and added, “I must ask whether the cheers of their hardcore supporters and political interests are more important to them than the lives and safety of the public.” He further condemned the move, saying, “The Democratic Party’s act of violence, putting public safety at risk, is not reform, but legislative dictatorship.”

Finally, the People Power Party made clear its firm opposition to the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority, which undermines the balance of the criminal justice system. Chief Spokesperson Park emphasized, “We will block the Democratic Party’s irresponsible attempt to dismantle the criminal justice system to the end,” adding, “We will stand firm until the end to protect the rule of law, judicial justice, and public safety.”

Reporter Lim Yo-hee