KIM ATTENDS JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

[Anchor Lead]

The nation’s top prosecutor has made a rare appearance at the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee to protest the bill tabled to strip the prosecution of investigative authority. Rival parties reviewed legal provisions of the bill late into the night without making any headway. A lawmaker was even accused of behaving disrespectfully to other committee members.

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Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo made a rare appearance at the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee session. He opposed the bill to strip the prosecution of investigative power by questioning the credibility of indictments based solely on police investigation records.

[Soundbite] Kim Oh-soo(Prosecutor General) : "Stripping the prosecution of all its investigative authority is tantamount to throwing away the state’s long-accumulated investigative power."

The Democratic Party demanded the top prosecutor show remorse and apologize. The People Power Party criticized that the bill was presented solely for the Democratic Party.

[Soundbite] Choe Kang-wook(Democratic Party) : "How long should we tolerate him showing up here like this when he has been refusing to come to other important meetings?"

[Soundbite] Jun Joo-hyae(People Power Party) : "That’s why we’re saying this law is for the Democratic Party."

Both sides continued to review the legal provisions late into the night, but they failed to narrow their differences. Over the course of this process, the DP's Choe Kang-wook was accused of speaking rudely to a fellow lawmaker.

[Soundbite] Yoo Sang-bum(People Power Party) : "He spoke rudely and shook his finger at another lawmaker. The meeting ended because of his shameful behavior."

[Soundbite] Choe Kang-wook(Democratic Party) : "It is regrettable that they blatantly interrupted the process and tried to delay the review. I hope such an incident is not repeated."

The PPP declared that its lawmakers would not attend the committee meeting without a public apology from Choe. However, the DP countered that it is only an excuse to delay the review.