DP lawmaker quits party to help prosecution reform push

 A lawmaker quit the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday in a carefully calibrated move to help the party override opposition objections and push ahead with legislation that would deprive the prosecution of its investigative powers.

After leaving the party, Rep. Min Hyung-bae was placed on the parliamentary judiciary committee handling the controversial legislation, becoming one of the two independents in the 18-member committee that also includes 10 from the DP and six from the main opposition People Power Party.

Min’s departure was widely seen as aimed at forestalling opposition attempts to delay the legislation’s passage. If the PPP stalls for time, the DP can refer the legislation to an ad-hoc “agenda coordination committee” to speed up its passage.

Under the current makeup of the judiciary committee, the six-member agenda coordination panel should be composed of three members from the DP, two from the PPP and one independent. The judiciary committee chairman can now name Min to join the panel as an independent so as to increase the DP’s effective strength in the panel to four against PPP’s two.

Legislation approved at the coordination panel with at least two-thirds support is automatically introduced to a plenary session of the judiciary committee where the DP holds a majority.

Min’s departure underscored the DP’s determination to pass the legislation before President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol takes office because Yoon could veto it as president.

The DP has been pushing for the set of amendments to the Prosecutor’s Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act as part of efforts to reform the powerful law enforcement agency long accused of abusing its power for political and other purposes.