Main opposition DP to file complaint accusing justice minister of stating false information

SEOUL– The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) decided to file a defamation complaint with police against Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon on charges of stating false information about prosecution reform legislation, officials said Wednesday.

The DP said it will submit a petition to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Wednesday afternoon in connection with Han’s remarks about the legislation during a Constitutional Court hearing held the previous day. The law is aimed at eventually stripping the prosecution of investigative powers.

“This legislation essentially infringes upon the Constitution’s role of protecting people’s basic rights by making it difficult for prosecutors to normally investigate and indict,” Han said during the hearing, claiming the DP’s intention is to protect certain politicians from probes with the law.

Han also said that the DP is believed to have passed the legislation in an attempt to shield corrupt politicians from prosecution investigations.

The DP claimed Han defamed the party with this remark.

The legislation, a set of revisions to the Prosecutors’ Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act, passed through the National Assembly controlled by the then ruling DP between late April and early May despite fierce protest from the then opposition People Power Party.

In June, the Justice Ministry and the prosecution filed a constitutional petition against the legislation, along with an injunction seeking to suspend the law’s implementation.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

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