"Cowardly Choice" vs. "Principled Anti-Yoon Figure": Broad Ruling Bloc Divided

[Anchor]

A confirmation hearing was held today (October 14) at the National Assembly for Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the newly established Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA). Although the agency opened its doors on October 2, the vetting of its inaugural chief took place more than a month after his nomination due to internal discord within the broader ruling bloc. Today, opinions remained sharply divided, with critics attacking Kim as a "pro-Yoon prosecutor" who made cowardly choices, while defenders shielded him as a "principled anti-Yoon figure."

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin has our first story.

[Reporter]

At today's confirmation hearing for Kim Ji-yong, nominee for chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, the "physical assault during search case involving prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong" took center stage.

Prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong was indicted on charges of physical assault during a search while attempting to seize the mobile phone of then senior prosecutor Han Dong-hoon during the so-called "Channel A case," but was ultimately acquitted. Representative Youn Kun-young of the Democratic Party, affiliated with the pro-Moon Jae-in faction, argued that when deciding whether to indict Jeong, Kim—who was then deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office—approved the indictment despite claiming he opposed it, making a "cowardly choice" even during the subsequent fact-finding investigation.

[Youn Kun-young / Democratic Party Representative: You said you opposed it.]

[Kim Ji-yong / Serious Crime Investigation Agency Chief Nominee: I did oppose it.]

[Youn Kun-young / Democratic Party Representative: Then you should have submitted the materials showing your opposition.]

[Kim Ji-yong / Serious Crime Investigation Agency Chief Nominee: If I had been asked to submit evidence of my opposition, I certainly would have done so.]

Representative Jeong Chun-saeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party sharpened her attack, arguing that Kim also bears responsibility for indicting former Blue House secretary Lee Gwang-cheol while serving as head of the criminal department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Lee was indicted on charges of involvement in blocking former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui from leaving the country, but was later acquitted.

[Jeong Chun-saeng / Rebuilding Korea Party Representative: It was an overzealous prosecution that resulted in a full acquittal by the Supreme Court. Do you admit this?]

[Kim Ji-yong / Serious Crime Investigation Agency Chief Nominee: Yes, I admit it.]

[Park Ju-min / Democratic Party Representative: He can be called an accomplice of political prosecutors.]

Nominee Kim also explained that his decision to put his name on a 2020 joint statement by chief prosecutors opposing disciplinary action against then Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol was due to "procedural issues."

[Kim Ji-yong / Serious Crime Investigation Agency Chief Nominee: I judged that there was a problem with the procedure, and that was what I pointed out.]

Lawmakers aligned with the Democratic Party's pro-Lee Jae-myung faction defended Kim as a "principled anti-Yoon prosecutor," noting that he had been demoted to a regional post in the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's first reshuffle.

[Chae Hyun-il / Democratic Party Representative: He was demoted to deputy chief prosecutor of the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office. In my view, he is anti-Yoon, clearly anti-Yoon.]

[Park Jeong-hyeon / Democratic Party Representative: I do not quite understand why this (pro-Yoon) label was attached to him.]

Although the presidential office and the Democratic Party leadership urged restraint, hardliners on prosecution reform within the broader ruling bloc formalized their opposition to the appointment at today's confirmation hearing, signaling that internal controversies within the ruling bloc are likely to continue.

(Video by Oh Young-choon and Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Lee Seung-jin)

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