2025 Lee Jae-myung Candidate Presidential Commitment Detailed Analysis - Political and Judicial Reform

Introducing Candidate Lee Jae-myung's pledge book "From Now On, A Real Republic of Korea"

The Democratic Party's candidate Lee Jae-myung has unveiled a manifesto in preparation for the 21st presidential election on June 3, 2025. The main keywords of this manifesto are 'recovery', 'growth', and 'happiness', which include 15 key policy tasks and 247 detailed pledges aimed at enhancing democracy, the economy, and citizens' lives. The candidate presented a vision of five powerful nations: an economic powerhouse, a strong diplomatic and security nation, a cultural powerhouse, a democracy powerhouse, and a welfare powerhouse, demonstrating his commitment to improving the quality of life for the people. Through this, candidate Lee Jae-myung envisions a future that further develops South Korea and allows all citizens to be happy.

Political and judicial reform pledges: Restoration of democracy and reform of power institutions

The core of Candidate Lee Jae-myung's pledge is overcoming internal strife and restoring democracy. He aims to correct past events that threatened the constitutional order and to implement extensive reforms in power institutions to create a strong democracy. In particular, he has proposed various reform measures to prevent the abuse of power by the military and the prosecution and to strengthen democratic control over the civilian sector. Through these reforms of power institutions, he seeks to achieve national unity and the restoration of democracy.

Military Reform Commitments

In the area of military reform, it was stated that measures would be taken to decentralize and adjust the structure and functions of the military to prevent the recurrence of incidents such as the December 3 emergency martial law attempt in 2024. Specifically, the revision of the Martial Law Act will be pursued to strengthen the conditions for declaring martial law and to legislate the right to refuse unjust orders. Additionally, there will be a restructuring of the missions of units that may be involved in martial law, such as the Defense Security Command and the Capital Defense Command. Through these measures, the plan is to enable the military to be free from political roles and to strengthen democratic control over the military.

Prosecutorial Reform Promise

In the context of prosecutorial reform, candidate Lee Jae-myung is focusing on the complete separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers. A new Serious Crime Investigation Agency will be established to transfer all investigative functions, while the existing prosecution will be downsized to a 'prosecution agency' that is solely responsible for indictment and maintaining charges. This plan follows the line of previous prosecutorial reforms and is based on concerns regarding the abuse of prosecutorial power. Additionally, it includes plans to implement measures for protecting human rights during the investigation process and to introduce a 'prosecutor dismissal system' that allows for the removal of prosecutors with misconduct.

Police and Judiciary Reform Commitments

We plan to abolish the new police agency and strengthen democratic oversight through the operationalization of the National Police Commission. As part of judicial reform, there are plans to increase the number of Supreme Court justices and enhance the transparency of the judiciary by expanding public hearings of the full bench. Efforts to improve access to justice, such as the expansion of online trial systems and citizen participation in trials, are also included. These efforts will help citizens utilize the law more easily.

Strengthening the Independence of the Board of Audit and Political Reform Commitment

Measures have also been proposed to strengthen the independence of the Board of Audit and Inspection and to establish political neutrality. There is a commitment to ensure that the Board does not become a political tool by increasing the participation of external personnel in the appointment of the Board Chairman, making the decisions of the Audit Committee public, and strengthening the requirements for initiating audits. In terms of political reform, plans have been established to institutionalize the Ethics Special Committee of the National Assembly and to introduce fines for the disciplinary actions against members. Additionally, the aim is to enhance the accountability of National Assembly members through a citizen recall system.

Feasibility and Budget

The feasibility of implementing promises is closely related to the legislative authority of the National Assembly, and political consensus is essential. In particular, areas such as judicial reform are expected to face strong opposition from the opposition party. Issues like increasing the number of Supreme Court justices and constitutional amendments have been discussed in the past but have often not been realized. However, this candidate sees some potential for implementing certain reform measures. For instance, immediate actions like the appointment of a special inspector can be swiftly carried out if there is the candidate's will.

Differences from other candidates

The positions of Candidate Lee Jae-myung and the People Power Party candidate show distinct differences in terms of power institutions and political reform. Candidate Lee emphasizes the separation of the prosecution's investigation and prosecution rights and the need for checks on the prosecution, while the conservative camp argues for the maintenance and strengthening of existing prosecution functions. Their stances on martial law also differ, with each advocating for different directions, leading to differing perspectives on political reform as well. These distinctions can be clearly seen in the interpretations of democracy and the rule of law.