Amid the complete abolition of prosecutorial investigative authority and the expansion of police investigative authority starting in October due to the revised Criminal Procedure Act, a bill has been proposed to require the National Office of Investigation chief, who oversees all police investigations, to undergo a National Assembly confirmation hearing.
Lee Sang-sik, a Democratic Party of Korea member of the National Assembly on the Administrative Safety Committee, proposed the ‘Three Bills to Introduce a Confirmation Hearing for the National Office of Investigation Chief’ on August 28. The bills aim to amend three laws—the Police Act, the National Assembly Act, and the Confirmation Hearing Act—to introduce confirmation hearings in the appointment process of the National Office of Investigation chief.
Among them, the amendment to the Police Act adds a requirement that the National Office of Investigation chief, currently appointed from among police commissioner generals, must undergo a National Assembly confirmation hearing. The amendment to the National Assembly Act includes the National Office of Investigation chief in the list of public office candidates subject to confirmation hearings by the relevant standing committee. The amendment to the Confirmation Hearing Act adds the National Office of Investigation chief to the list of positions for which the government must request a confirmation hearing from the National Assembly.
When the revised Criminal Procedure Act takes effect on October 2, the police will be responsible for major investigations alongside the serious crimes investigation agency and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). Consequently, the authority and responsibility of the National Office of Investigation chief, who commands and supervises nationwide police investigations and 40,000 investigative police officers, will increase. However, unlike the chiefs of the serious crimes agency and the CIO, the National Office of Investigation chief is not subject to confirmation hearings.
Notably, the National Office of Investigation faced allegations in May regarding the handling of the Jeonnam-Gwangju high school girl murder case. It was accused of attempting to downplay the case by instructing the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency to separate the investigation into the stalking and murder committed by the perpetrator, Jang Yoon-gi. In connection with this, five individuals, including former National Office of Investigation chief Park Sung-joo, were recently charged as suspects by the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office, and investigations are ongoing.
Rep. Lee stated, “As most investigative authority has recently been transferred to the police, the status and authority of the National Office of Investigation chief have become significant.” He added, “Given the growing public concern over democratic control of the police and the fairness of police investigations, appropriate verification and oversight mechanisms must be established.”
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