President Lee Jae-myung signed the official request for a National Assembly confirmation hearing on October 2 for Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to lead the newly established Major Crime Investigation Office, even as fierce opposition persisted among ruling party hardliners.
Did You Know? The presidential confirmation request for Kim Ji-yong was submitted to the National Assembly 25 days after his initial nomination by Cheong Wa Dae during a presidential trip to France.
Political Backlash Over the Nominee’s Past
The nomination has triggered sharp divisions within the ruling Democratic Party, with critics pointing to Kim’s past record as a prosecutor. Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae voiced intense regret on October 3 over her past decision to promote Kim to chief prosecutor during her tenure as justice minister. Governor Choo stated on Facebook that she now confesses her poor judgment in reading people and urged the public not to use her previous appointment as a basis for trusting Kim. She argued that the core issue is not whether a nominee is considered pro-government or anti-government, but whether someone who previously joined a collective action opposing disciplinary measures against then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk-yeol can be entrusted with a major reform agency. Governor Choo explained that ahead of the August 2020 regular personnel reshuffle, her vice minister had recommended Kim Ji-yong from the prosecutors’ office as a trusted junior prosecutor to help reform the special investigation team, which had previously monopolized plum positions, and that she had appointed Kim without suspicion due to her trust in the vice minister. She added that three months later, when disciplinary procedures began against the prosecutor general whose corruption was exposed through an audit, the vice minister who had previously agreed that the official should resign abruptly submitted his resignation, and Kim Ji-yong joined the collective action opposing the disciplinary action as unjust.
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min joined the opposition, holding a press conference in front of the Public Office for Investigation in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to argue that the nominee has historically opposed reductions to prosecutorial investigative powers. Lawmaker Kim asserted that changing agency nameplates alone does not constitute true reform. Meanwhile, independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon criticized the ruling camp for conducting an internal dispute solely over whether a nominee belongs to their political faction rather than verifying their political neutrality, noting that such a public veto debate within the ruling camp is an unprecedented occurrence in South Korean history where the public is treated like transparent beings.
President defends nominee against obstruction claims
President Lee strongly defended the choice through a series of statements and social media posts, rejecting the label of Kim as a pro-Yoon prosecutor as an unreasonable attempt to obstruct state affairs. Cheong Wa Dae officials maintained that allegations against the nominee are unfounded, and the president proceeded with the appointment process following an internal re-verification process. Nominee Kim Ji-yong told reporters on October 2 at the Government Complex Seoul Changseong-dong Annex that he would dedicate all his capabilities to helping the new investigation agency secure strong crime-response capabilities and protect victim rights if appointed.
Addressing the ongoing discord within the party, five-term Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won proposed holding an emergency general meeting of lawmakers to resolve the dispute through an open-floor debate and a binding vote. Writing on Facebook on October 3, Lawmaker Park noted that opposition among lawmakers appears limited, pointing out that National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee Chairman Kim Ji-young supports the nominee while only two committee members have expressed opposition.
Timeline of confirmation request and past prosecutor controversies
When was the confirmation hearing request submitted to the National Assembly?
President Lee Jae-myung signed the confirmation request on October 2, exactly 25 days after Cheong Wa Dae first announced the nomination during a trip to France.
What specific past action did Governor Choo Mi-ae cite regarding the nominee?
Governor Choo stated that after she promoted Kim Ji-yong to chief prosecutor during her time as justice minister, Kim later joined a collective action by prosecutors opposing the disciplinary action taken against then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk-yeol.
How did Lawmaker Park Ji-won propose resolving the ruling party’s internal conflict?
Lawmaker Park proposed convening an immediate general meeting of party lawmakers to hold unlimited floor debates followed by a formal vote to establish an official party line.
How will the upcoming confirmation hearings shape the legislative future of the newly launched investigation agency?
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