Seoul: The parliamentary judiciary committee has approved a bill designed to reorganize the government structure, including the disbandment of the prosecution service and the restructuring of the finance and environment ministries.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, led by the ruling Democratic Party, passed the bill despite objections from the main opposition party, People Power Party (PPP), concerning the proposed prosecution reform. Following the approval by the committee, the bill is anticipated to be presented for a full vote during the National Assembly's plenary session on Thursday.
The bill proposes significant changes to the prosecution system by eliminating its headquarters and establishing two new agencies to separately handle indictment and investigative powers. A serious crimes investigation agency is planned to be created under the interior ministry, while an indictment office will be established under the justice ministry. This move is in response to longstanding criticism that the prosecution has misused its powers for politically motivated investigations.
Noh Man-seok, the acting chief of the prosecution service, has voiced his opposition to the proposed disbandment, cautioning that it could become a "flaw" in the efforts for prosecution reform. He expressed concerns that abolishing the constitutionally prescribed prosecution could hinder successful reforms.
The bill also aims to split the finance ministry into two separate entities, one focusing on budget management and the other on economic and policy oversight. The budget management office would be established under the prime minister's office. Additionally, the industry ministry's energy policy tasks will be transferred to the environment ministry, which is set to be renamed the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.