Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, stated that there is no need to artificially grant special prosecutors the authority to dismiss charges.
During a confirmation hearing held on September 15 by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Kim responded to a related inquiry from Park Hyung-soo, a member of the ruling People Power Party, saying, "As a member of the National Assembly at the time, I opposed including a charge dismissal provision, believing it was unnecessary to do so artificially."
Park pointed out that Kim had previously stated on a radio program before his nomination that it was appropriate for the Minister of Justice to dismiss charges, but after his nomination, he indicated he would not direct the prosecutor general to do so.
In response, Kim explained, "The earlier statement was made as a member of the National Assembly to express public concern regarding fabricated charges. As the nominee for Minister of Justice, I promised to act in accordance with the law."
Park countered Kim's remarks, stating, "Many citizens who feel wronged by fabricated charges have fought for their innocence in court and received acquittals. Is it not preferential treatment to end matters with a charge dismissal simply because the president says so?"
Kim reiterated his opposition to granting special prosecutors the authority to dismiss charges, stating, "I will express my opinions during the legislative process in the National Assembly."
Additionally, when asked by Yoon Sang-hyun, another member of the People Power Party, about the stance on charge dismissals related to President Yoon, Kim stated, "The authority to dismiss charges does not lie with the Minister of Justice, and I do not intend to exercise it through general directives to the prosecutor general."
However, Kim emphasized, "It must be clearly established whether there were fabricated charges, which is a preliminary step before any charge dismissal. Investigative and prosecutorial powers must be exercised in the most fair, restrained, and politically neutral manner."
He added, "I believe it is acceptable to think that I am completely different from former Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon," indicating he would not follow the precedents set by his predecessor.
After the hearing was adjourned, both ruling and opposition parties provided contrasting evaluations regarding Kim's qualifications. Kim Ui-gyeom, the ruling party's secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, told reporters, "There was nothing new revealed, and all the information had already been disclosed," asserting that there were no grounds for Kim's disqualification. He defended Kim, stating, "He explained himself sufficiently."
In contrast, Park Hyung-soo, the opposition party's secretary, criticized Kim in a conversation with a media outlet, saying, "The nominee has not adequately addressed various allegations," and accused him of engaging in melodrama related to family matters instead of clarifying the allegations, expressing a stance against adopting the confirmation report.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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