The ruling Democratic Party(DP) and three minor opposition parties have submitted all four reform bills they agreed to fast-track through parliament to bypass opposition from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party(LKP). 

Representative Back Hye-ryun, who represents the DP on the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Judiciary Reform, said on Friday that a revision to the Criminal Procedure Code was submitted via an electronic proposal system in the afternoon.
 
She said it was unprecedented that the bill was submitted through the electronic system in the history of the country’s parliament. 

Two other fast-track bills on electoral reform and the creation of a separate investigative body for high-ranking public officials were submitted on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. 

The other bill, a revision to the Public Prosecutors’ Office Act, requires only minor modification of a bill already submitted last November and does not need to be resubmitted. The bill, together with the Criminal Procedure Code revision is necessary for rebalancing power between the prosecution and the police. 

The bills will now be put to a vote during the special parliamentary committees on political and judiciary reforms. 

LKP Floor Leader Na Kyung-won expressed her regret over the move and condemned what she called a “parliamentary coup.” 

On Monday, the DP and three minor parties agreed to accelerate the handling of the bills, however, the LKP has occupied conference rooms where special committees planned to vote on the bills since Wednesday night, causing physical altercations between the parties.