(EDITORIAL from The Korea Times on Aug. 5)

The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker, Rep. Kang Sun-woo, has been cleared of allegations of abusing her parliamentary aides, despite earlier complaints that she asked them to clean her home and ostracize them. The controversy erupted when Kang was nominated for President Lee Jae Myung's first gender equality and family minister in June last year.

After she withdrew her nomination, she continued to serve as a DPK legislator until she eventually left the party. Allegations against Kang included asking aides to perform domestic chores, such as cleaning her home and repairing a bidet, as well as isolating them and threatening to harm their future job prospects. Civic groups filed multiple complaints against her, accusing her of violating the Labor Standards Act and abusing her authority.

However, the police dismissed these complaints, citing insufficient evidence from the aides. Kang is also being held in custody for allegedly receiving 100 million won ($69,774) from former Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung in exchange for a party nomination for the 2022 local elections. Despite this, the clearing of other cases related to Kang's alleged abuse of aides raises concerns about the impartiality and justice of the proceedings.

The upcoming revisions to the Criminal Procedures Act, set to take effect in October, will give prosecutors more power and limit the ability of complainants to challenge police decisions. This shift in power dynamics under the new prosecutorial system may lead to a more tilted balance between the police and the prosecution. The reform of the prosecution system, which the DPK claims as a pledge, has been criticized for potentially compromising the protection of crime victims while aiming to improve criminal proceedings for all citizens.