With, Court Petition & Law Distortion Crime, 'Presidential Trial Suspension Act' Relaunch Initiated

Mentioned in closed-door party meeting... Senior lawmaker: "'Lee's trial resumption is theoretically possible,' court's remark is a signal"

Judicial reform bills, including law distortion crime, expanded to 7 agenda items for now... Expected to be pushed as party platform after closed-door discussion

 (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Dong-ju = Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min speaks at a press conference for the 2025 National Assembly Judiciary and Justice Committee's oversight hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 22nd, attended by members of the Democratic Party, the Jo Guk Innovation Party, and independent members of the Judiciary and Justice Committee. 2025.10.22 pdj6635@yna.co.kr

The Democratic Party is considering pursuing the so-called 'Presidential Trial Suspension Act' again.

The Democratic Party is effectively pushing for '7 Judicial Reform Agenda Items,' which add the introduction of court petitions and the crime of law distortion to the existing 5 judicial reform proposals, as its party platform. It is also known that arguments for urgently processing the Trial Suspension Act (amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act), which would suspend criminal trials for the incumbent president, are being prominently raised.

Multiple party officials revealed that these matters were discussed at the Democratic Party's closed-door general meeting of lawmakers held ahead of the plenary session on the 26th.

A Democratic Party official told Yonhap News over the phone, "The People Power Party is demanding that the court (resume President Lee's) trial, but the Supreme Court is not making a decision," adding, "A discussion arose during open remarks about whether we need to change the law, saying, 'What if the court (resumes) the trial by mistake?'"

Another official elaborated, "The (speaker) explained the necessity of introducing the Trial Suspension Act, but there wasn't enough time for further discussion on this matter."

The amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, which stipulates the suspension of criminal trial procedures during the term of office for a defendant who has been elected president, has already been referred to the plenary session.

Previously, the Democratic Party had planned to pass this bill in the National Assembly's Judiciary and Justice Committee under its leadership and process it in the plenary session on June 12th, but it postponed the processing just before the plenary session.

At the time, this was interpreted as a measure to slow down bills that were facing controversy as 'bulletproof legislation for President Lee' ahead of the launch of a new floor leadership.

However, the party's internal atmosphere has reportedly changed due to the increasing calls from the People Power Party to resume the trial for President Lee's public election law violation case, which was remanded by the Supreme Court in May before the presidential election, and the prevailing sentiment within the judiciary during the parliamentary audit period.

Kim Dae-woong, Chief Judge of the Seoul High Court, stated at the Judiciary and Justice Committee's oversight hearing on the 20th, in response to a question from People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun about whether President Lee's remanded case could be scheduled for a trial at any time, "Theoretically, yes. It is not impossible."

In response, a senior lawmaker of the Democratic Party told Yonhap News over the phone, "I personally believe that the Seoul High Court Chief Judge's statement that 'the trial can resume at any time' is an important 'signal'."

Another senior lawmaker said, "The Trial Suspension Act has already passed the Judiciary and Justice Committee (without requiring consultation with the party, government, and the president), so wouldn't it be right to quickly finalize it without any other discussions?" A first-term lawmaker also stated, "It has passed the Judiciary and Justice Committee, so we cannot keep postponing it in the plenary session."

In addition, the Democratic Party is effectively pushing for the 7 judicial reform agenda items, which are an expansion of the 5 reform proposals from its Judicial Reform Special Committee, including the introduction of court petitions and the crime of law distortion, as its party platform.

In his opening remarks at the general meeting of lawmakers on the day, Floor Leader Kim Byung-ki mentioned "7 judicial reform agenda items, including the Court Petition Act and the crime of law distortion," and announced that a policy general meeting would be held to explain related content.

However, it is reported that most of the time at the general meeting held before the plenary session was dedicated to explaining the agenda items, with almost no discussion among the lawmakers.

In relation to this, some Democratic Party lawmakers expressed the opinion that further discussions, including policy forums, were needed on the judicial reform bills, but the party leadership reportedly drew a line on public discussions. The intention is to finalize the party platform after further closed-door discussions.

A party official told Yonhap News over the phone, "Representative Jung Cheong-rae said, '(The judicial reform bills) have been agreed upon by the party, government, and the president, so there's no need for public forums,' and there was some agitation among some lawmakers."

A second-term lawmaker argued over the phone, "While the leadership can say it is 'effectively' the party platform, a policy general meeting must be held to actually push it as the party platform." Yonhap News