End of Audit, Legislative Race Intensifies... Ruling Party Resumes 3 Major Reforms: Prosecution, Media, Judiciary

Park Soo-hyun: "We will communicate with the public to prepare better reform proposals."

Democratic Party Senior Spokesperson Park Soo-hyun at a press conference (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Joo-sung = Democratic Party Senior Spokesperson Park Soo-hyun holds a press conference on current issues, including real estate measures, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 26th. 2025.10.26 utzza@yna.co.kr

The Democratic Party has immediately resumed its legislative speed race as soon as the first national audit of the Lee Jae-myung administration concluded.

At a briefing following a Supreme Council meeting on the 30th, Senior Spokesperson Park Soo-hyun stated, "The Democratic Party will now fully embark on the public discourse process for the three reform tasks that were temporarily postponed."

He added, "Through policy general meetings, we will foster internal communication, and we will also hold public hearings and other events centered on standing committees," and said, "We will make sincere communication efforts to prepare better reform proposals together with the public."

Earlier, the Democratic Party's Special Committee on Judicial Reform announced five judicial reform tasks, including increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, introducing a judge evaluation system, diversifying the composition of the Supreme Court justice nomination committee, expanding the disclosure of lower court rulings, and implementing a pre-trial review system for search and seizure warrants.

The party leadership plans to pursue a total of seven reform tasks by adding the 'trial appeal system,' which allows constitutional appeals against court rulings, and the 'law distortion crime,' which stipulates disciplinary action and punishment for prosecutors and judges who misapply or misinterpret laws.

Furthermore, within the party, there are voices calling for the promotion of a trial suspension law (amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act) that would suspend criminal trials for incumbent presidents, and the abolition of the Court Administration Office as part of judicial reform.

Regarding media reform, the party's Special Committee on Media Reform has already announced an amendment to the Information and Communications Network Act that would allow for damages of up to five times the actual loss to be claimed for 'false and fabricated reports' by media outlets and YouTubers.

In terms of prosecution reform, the Democratic Party has already passed the Government Organization Act for what is known as "full stripping of prosecutorial investigative powers."

The ruling party and the government are discussing detailed plans for follow-up measures, centered on the government, in preparation for the abolition of the Prosecutor's Office and the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIHO) and the Prosecution Office in October next year, including whether to retain prosecutorial investigative powers for supplementary investigations. Yonhap News

Democratic Party Senior Spokesperson Park Soo-hyun at a press conference (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Joo-sung = Democratic Party Senior Spokesperson Park Soo-hyun holds a press conference on current issues, including real estate measures, at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 26th. 2025.10.26 utzza@yna.co.kr