Jeong Seong-ho, a member of the Democratic Party and the first Justice Minister under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, criticized the recent reform of the Criminal Procedure Law, which abolishes supplementary investigation rights. He stated on November 6 that "there are no institutional measures in place to protect victims."
During an appearance on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Jeong explained, "The most serious issue regarding the Criminal Procedure Law is the prosecutor's authority to verify facts. When problems arise, they can summon related parties for statements or collect materials, but these cannot be used as evidence."
He added, "This is meaningless. Although we had to abolish supplementary investigation rights, there must be institutional measures to protect victims. This law lacks proper provisions for such functions. The consequences will fall on the public."
Jeong also indicated plans to propose alternative legislation to address the shortcomings of the Criminal Procedure Law, stating, "I am consulting with the Ministry of Justice. We must quickly acknowledge and correct any mistakes."
Additionally, Jeong expressed skepticism about the 'Manipulated Prosecution Special Investigation Law,' which is expected to pass in the upcoming plenary session, saying, "A deliberative process was necessary."
He voiced concerns about the law, noting, "There are many worries regarding the Manipulated Prosecution Special Investigation Law. Given the separation of the prosecution office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, there are not many prosecutors with special investigation experience in the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency."
Jeong concluded, "It raises significant doubts about whether they can conduct proper investigations. If extensive investigations yield no results, the negative repercussions could be substantial. A deliberative process was needed."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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