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Kim Byung-kee, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DP), announced his intention to directly propose a "Prosecutor Dismissal Bill," a revision to the current Prosecutor Disciplinary Act, aimed at eliminating the special status that protects prosecutors from dismissal for insubordination. He sternly declared that "laws protecting insubordinate public officials are unnecessary," emphasizing that prosecutors who defy orders and misuse their authority will no longer be tolerated.
The floor leader's decision, announced during a party leadership meeting on November 13, is a significant escalation in the DP’s ongoing push for prosecutorial reform. Kim stated, "We will no longer tolerate political prosecutors who act above the law," asserting that the special privileges granted to them must be abolished or drastically overhauled.
The core of the proposed bill is to apply the National Civil Service Act (국가공무원법) to prosecutors, enabling disciplinary actions—including dismissal (파면) and removal (해임)—that are currently available for general civil servants.
Under the current Prosecutor Disciplinary Act (검사징계법), disciplinary actions for prosecutors are limited to five levels: censure, reduction of pay, suspension, removal, and termination of service. Crucially, the Prosecutor's Office Act (검찰청법), specifically Article 37, provides an ironclad guarantee of a prosecutor's status, stipulating that a prosecutor cannot be removed from office except through impeachment or a conviction leading to a sentence of imprisonment or heavier penalty. This unique protection has long been criticized as shielding "political prosecutors" from effective accountability.
Kim Byung-kee argued that this change is essential to "restore the discipline of the entire public service" by holding "rebellious prosecutors" to the same standard as all other government employees.
Demand for Parliamentary Inquiry into Daejang-dong Case
In a related move, Kim Byung-kee also announced that the Democratic Party will seek a parliamentary investigation (국정조사) to uncover the truth behind the prosecution's decision to drop the appeal in the controversial Daejang-dong development case.
"We will gather the consensus of our lawmakers at today's general assembly and submit the demand for a parliamentary inquiry into the truth this week," he confirmed. The floor leader expressed frustration, saying, "It is a waste of time to urge political prosecutors to reflect on their actions." He concluded with a firm warning: "We will definitely punish the political prosecutors who are struggling to the very end to block prosecutorial reform."
DP Prioritizes Key Livelihood Legislation
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party plans to utilize the plenary session today to prioritize the immediate passage of 54 key livelihood bills (민생법안). These include:
The Service Industry Development Act for Logistics: Designed to protect the safety and employment of delivery workers exposed to the risk of overwork.
The Housing Basic Act: Intended to support citizens suffering in poor living environments, such as semi-basement dwellings.
The Automobile Management Act: Focused on preventing electric vehicle fires.
Furthermore, the DP plans to negotiate with the ruling party to pass the 'K-Steel Act'—aimed at securing the competitiveness of the steel industry—and the 'Semiconductor Special Act' (which was designated as a fast-track bill in April) during the plenary session scheduled for November 27.
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