Ruling party divided over scrapping elite investigation team

By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, June 9 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) was divided on Thursday over a parliamentary committee's proposal to scrap a special investigation team under direct order of the prosecutor general, amid a widening probe into a massive savings bank scandal.
Reforming the prosecution has emerged as a hot political issue in South Korea after a six-member judicial reform subcommittee passed a proposal last week to scrap the Central Investigation Unit (CIU) at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that has handled big corruption cases and major economic crimes.
A tough road lies ahead for the controversial bill as it needs to pass parliamentary review and win approval from the majority of lawmakers in a general session to take effect.
"People give much support to the Central Investigation Unit," said Rep. Park Jun-seon, a prosecutor-turned-lawmaker. "Its function of clearing corruption should be maintained because it is what people want."
But Rep. Joo Seong-young, who chairs the judicial reform committee, voiced support for the proposal, saying it can help boost the prosecution's political neutrality. But he also said there is a need for more discussions on alternative systems to replace it.
Attempts have been made in the past to abolish the unit, but they fell through due to strong opposition by prosecutors, who claimed that such a special investigation team is necessary to look into high-profile corruption cases vulnerable to outside pressure.
The members of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) called in union for abolishing the department, accusing it of politically motivated investigations. Opposition lawmakers have suggested creating an independent agency to investigate wrongdoings by prosecutors and judges to keep them under watch.


ejkim@yna.co.kr