The National Assembly will hold a confirmation hearing for Kim Ji-yong, the first nominee for the Chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, on October 14. Key issues will include Kim's actions during his tenure as a prosecutor and the agency's political neutrality and independence in investigations. Notably, even the ruling party, which typically supports nominees, is preparing for a rigorous vetting process.
According to legal sources on October 11, the National Assembly will convene the hearing on the morning of October 14 to assess Kim's qualifications and moral integrity. This comes more than 40 days after President Lee Jae-myung announced Kim's nomination on September 7.
Concerns have been raised by hardliners within the ruling party regarding Kim's background as a prosecutor who opposed the so-called 'complete deprivation of prosecutorial investigative authority' legislation and the suspension of then-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, which delayed the submission of the confirmation request by nearly three weeks.
Hardliners continue to express their dissent. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sung-yoon criticized Kim during a National Assembly audit of the Ministry of Justice on October 8, stating, "Kim participated in the collective action of 17 prosecutors who led the so-called 'prosecutorial rebellion' against Yoon's disciplinary measures." Kim Yong-min, another lawmaker from the same party who has championed prosecutorial reform, also criticized Kim, asserting that he has opposed such reforms since the agency's establishment on October 2.
During the upcoming hearing, allegations regarding Kim's pro-Yoon stance and his opposition to the complete deprivation of prosecutorial authority are expected to be central issues. Park Joo-min, a member of the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee overseeing the hearing, stated, "If there are any suspicious aspects, we must conduct thorough verification."
However, there is a growing sentiment among the party leadership to support the nominee. Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok remarked, "If individual opinions have been sufficiently expressed, it is better to address them through the confirmation hearing." He added, "If excessive demands or claims threaten the overall reform movement, the party may need to intervene."
President Lee has also urged hardliners to exercise restraint. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on October 9, he noted, "While pure radicalism is a concern, it is more problematic when individuals who lack the capability demand significant positions and attempt to manipulate personnel or national policies, only to resort to radical reform as a justification for internal attacks when things do not go as planned."
The People Power Party is expected to target Yoon Ho-jung, the Minister of Administrative Safety who nominated Kim, rather than Kim himself. They plan to hold him accountable for the agency's lack of personnel and office space at its inception.
Kim has expressed his commitment to pursuing prosecutorial reform in preparation for the hearing. At a press conference on October 8, he stated, "I will eliminate the politicization of investigations." He further emphasized, "I will firmly uphold political neutrality and the independence of investigations, conducting thorough and fair investigations based on law and principles, regardless of political affiliation, to establish the agency's reputation as a trusted investigative body among the public."
Meanwhile, Minister Yoon has directed an investigation into Im Eun-jung, the Chief of the Gwangju Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, who has publicly criticized Kim. Yoon stated on X that Im seems to confuse the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency with a political organization and has ordered an internal investigation to commence.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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