Korea’s National Assembly is set to vote on a controversial amendment to the Criminal Act, known as the “law distortion” bill, one of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK)’s three flagship measures aimed at advancing judicial reform. The bill seeks to punish judges and prosecutors who intentionally misapply the law in ongoing criminal trials or investigations to unlawfully benefit or harm a party. Those found guilty would face penalties of up to 10 years in prison and up to 10 years of suspension from office. After passing the Legislation and Judiciary Committee earlier this week, the original draft drew significant constitutional concerns and criticism over its vague wording, with opponents arguing that it violates the constitutional principle of legal clarity. In response, the DPK revised the bill a day earlier, narrowing its scope to only judges involved in criminal trials and prosecutors who file or maintain indictments in criminal cases. Compared with the original version, which applied broadly to all judges and prosecutors, the amendment significantly limits its reach