Seoul: The National Assembly on Friday passed a significant government reorganization bill aimed at dismantling the prosecution office and restructuring various government branches, including the finance ministry.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the revision to the Government Organization Act, spearheaded by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), was approved with 174 votes in favor, one against, and five abstentions during a plenary session that was boycotted by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). This bill is the first of its kind under the Lee Jae Myung administration and focuses on abolishing the prosecution office while establishing two new agencies to assume its investigative and indictment responsibilities.
The proposed serious crimes investigation agency will be placed under the interior ministry, and the indictment office will be set up under the justice ministry. The bill includes a one-year grace period, which means the prosecution office will be shut down next year, marking the end of its 78-year history since its establishment in 1948.
The decision follows longstanding criticism that the prosecution has misused its exclusive powers for politically motivated investigations. Despite expressing regret over the bill's passage, Noh Man-seok, acting chief of the prosecution service, vowed to ensure that there will be no gaps in the criminal legal system.
Additionally, the bill proposes to remove the Ministry of Economy and Finance's budget planning role and establish an office for budget management under the prime minister's office starting in January next year. Furthermore, the industry ministry's oversight of energy policy will be transferred to the environment ministry.
The PPP opposed the bill, arguing that it was being rushed through without adequate debate. In an attempt to block the legislation, the party initiated a filibuster on Thursday, which concluded 24 hours later after the DP, holding a parliamentary majority, introduced a motion against it.
Following the vote, a contentious bill to reform the telecommunications regulator was introduced to the National Assembly. The PPP, having voiced objections to this bill as well, launched another filibuster to block it.