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Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, delivers a policy speech at the National Assembly in Seoul on September 9. / Source: Lee Byung-hwa

Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, delivered his first parliamentary policy speech under the Lee Jae-myung administration on September 9, stressing the need to both pursue “three major reforms” and to “settle the insurrection.”

In his address, Jung declared that uncovering the full truth of the insurrection and holding those responsible accountable would mark the beginning of restoring constitutional order. He pledged swift passage of amendments to three special investigation bills to reinforce the constitutional system. Jung also promised revisions to the Military Service Act to reflect the spirit of soldiers who resisted illegal orders, the enactment of a law honoring democracy activists, and amendments to the Independence Hall Act. He warned the People Power Party that failure to sever ties with insurrectionist forces could expose it to dissolution proceedings for unconstitutional parties.

Turning to reforms, Jung vowed to dismantle the roots of prosecutorial corruption by breaking up the monopoly over investigation and indictment. His plan calls for placing the Public Prosecution Service under the Ministry of Justice, establishing a central investigation agency under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and ultimately abolishing the prosecution office altogether. He pledged to deliver “the joyful news that the prosecution office has disappeared into history” by the Chuseok holiday.

Judicial reform was also underscored, including expanding the number of Supreme Court justices and introducing a judicial evaluation system through amendments to the Court Organization Act and the Criminal Procedure Act. Jung argued that increasing the number of justices should not be seen as controversial. He also reiterated the need for media reform, promising legislation against disinformation and laws to strengthen mediation and remedies for victims of false reporting.

To build a society that respects individuals’ lives, Jung proposed measures such as debt relief, credit amnesties, expansion of the Restart Fund, and revisions to laws on commercial leases, banking, and franchising. He also highlighted the government’s consumer coupon policy, citing recent improvements in production, consumption, and investment indicators, while noting a second round of coupons set for distribution on September 22. He pledged stronger protections for victims of housing rental scams.

Jung summarized the Lee administration’s growth strategy with the acronym “ABCDEF”: AI, Bio, Content, Defense, Energy, and Factory.

On foreign policy, he praised the recent South Korea-U.S. summit as an “unprecedented success,” reaffirming the administration’s pragmatic, national-interest-focused diplomacy. He also called for opposition cooperation to ensure the successful hosting of the 2025 APEC summit in Gyeongju.