Kim Ji-yong officially began his duties as the first chief of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency on October 16.
On that morning, Kim arrived at his office located in the Renaissance Square building in Jung-gu, Seoul, marking the start of his official responsibilities. He avoided the press waiting at the scene and headed directly to his office.
During his first day, Kim was briefed on the agency's key operations conducted over the past two weeks since its launch on October 2, and he is expected to begin the crucial personnel appointments for both the headquarters and regional offices.
The inauguration ceremony originally scheduled for that day was postponed due to scheduling conflicts with the Blue House. An agency official stated that the ceremony will take place next week.
Earlier, the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee held a confirmation hearing for Kim on October 14, and the following day, they adopted the confirmation report. President Lee Jae-myung also finalized Kim's appointment at 7:25 PM on the same day.
This marks 38 days since Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-joong recommended Kim for the position and 13 days since the agency's establishment. With the leadership gap now filled, the agency can alleviate concerns about a lack of leadership during its initial phase and accelerate its organizational restructuring and investigative capabilities.
The process leading to Kim's appointment was not without challenges. Immediately after Kim was nominated, the presidential office intended to request a confirmation hearing from the National Assembly. However, voices opposing Kim's appointment emerged within the ruling party, raising concerns about his ties to pro-Yoon prosecutors. In response, President Lee ordered additional vetting and, after determining there were no issues, sent the confirmation request to the National Assembly on October 1.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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