Seoul: The National Assembly on Friday approved a government reorganization bill aimed at dismantling the prosecution office and restructuring the finance ministry. This significant legislative move was spearheaded by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and saw passage with 174 votes in favor, a single opposition vote, and five abstentions during a session notably boycotted by the main opposition, People Power Party (PPP).
According to Yonhap News Agency, the bill marks the first major government restructuring initiative under the administration of Lee Jae Myung. Central to the bill is the abolition of the prosecution office, with plans to establish two new agencies to assume its investigative and indictment responsibilities. Additionally, the bill proposes significant changes to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, including the removal of its budget planning function. This role is set to be transferred to a newly proposed office for budget management, which will operate under the purview of the prime minister's office. Furthermore, the industry ministry's control over energy policy is proposed to be reassigned to the environment ministry.
The People Power Party has expressed strong opposition to the bill, criticizing it as being rushed without adequate debate. The party attempted to stall the legislative process by launching a filibuster on Thursday, which was concluded after 24 hours once the Democratic Party, leveraging its parliamentary majority, introduced a motion to end the filibuster.