South Korea National Assembly Strips Prosecutors of Investigative Powers

The National Assembly of South Korea passed a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act on July 31, 2026, stripping prosecutors of their authority to conduct direct and supplementary investigations. The bill passed 175-2 after the assembly voted to end a filibuster by the opposition People Power Party. Under the new law, prosecutors may only request judicial police officers to perform supplementary investigations, with results generally reported within one to two months.

To replace the previous system, the government will launch the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency on October 2. The former will focus on indictments and court proceedings, while the latter will investigate major offenses. Acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon resigned in protest of the revision. While the governing Democratic Party maintains that the law preserves victim rights, the People Power Party warned the change could cause investigative delays and weaken police oversight. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig characterized the law as tailor-made to benefit President Lee Jae Myung's own suspended criminal trials.

Separately, the assembly approved a bill authorizing a special counsel investigation into the National Election Commission's handling of a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections. Following the vote, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok joined citizens at Olympic Park in Seoul to celebrate the victory. Some lawmakers urged the investigation to expand beyond local elections to previous presidential and parliamentary contests if evidence of wrongdoing emerges.