The Democratic Party of Korea neutralized the People Power Party's filibuster and passed the judicial distortion bill, an amendment to the Criminal Act. The party plans to sequentially process three major judicial reform bills, including a Constitutional Court Act amendment introducing appeals against court rulings and a bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices.
At the National Assembly plenary session held on the 26th, the Democratic Party submitted a motion to end the filibuster on the judicial distortion bill being conducted by the People Power Party and passed it through a vote. With People Power Party members absent, the motion passed with 163 votes in favor out of 170 members present.
The core provision of the judicial distortion law stipulates that judges, prosecutors, and other officials who distort the law in cases under trial or investigation for the purpose of unlawfully or improperly benefiting others or harming their rights shall face up to 10 years in prison and up to 10 years of qualification suspension. After constitutional concerns arose both within and outside the party, the Democratic Party limited the scope of application to criminal cases excluding civil and administrative matters, and clarified the provisions defining acts of legal distortion to remove ambiguity.
The Democratic Party subsequently brought the Constitutional Court Act amendment, known as the court appeals bill, to the plenary session. The bill allows constitutional appeals to be filed if the Supreme Court's final third-instance ruling potentially infringes on fundamental rights. With the People Power Party conducting a filibuster on the court appeals bill, voting procedures are scheduled for the 27th.
As the ruling party-led passage of the three major judicial reform bills begins in the National Assembly, opposition is intensifying from both the legal community and opposition parties.
The National Conference of Court Chiefs issued a press release on the 25th stating, "We express serious regret over the current situation where bills have been submitted to the National Assembly plenary without sufficient public discourse or deliberation on the side effects of institutional reform."
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized the move, saying, "The passage of the three judicial reform bills is intended to shield President Lee Jae-myung, annihilate opposition forces, and complete a one-party dictatorship system."
Meanwhile, the nomination of Professor Ko Min-su of Gangneung-Wonju National University as the ruling party's candidate for standing member of the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Committee passed the National Assembly. However, Cheon Young-sik, CEO of Pen & Mike, nominated by the People Power Party, was rejected after the Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party opposed him, calling him a "far-right figure."