[Anchor]
President Lee Jae-myung has once again pushed back against criticism that it is inappropriate for heads of investigative agencies, including the chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, to attend Cabinet meetings. Writing on social media, he stated that even artificial intelligence provided an answer affirming that it is lawful, while the People Power Party criticized him, asking since when AI has represented the legitimacy of state administration.
Reporter Kang Min-u has the story.
[Reporter]
Amid controversy arising from Kim Ji-yong, head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, attending a Cabinet meeting for the first time—presided over by President Lee Jae-myung on October 20—President Lee posted a series of messages on social media yesterday.
Saying he asked Google's AI model "Gemini," President Lee relayed its answer that "the claim barring the heads of the Public Prosecution Agency and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency from attending Cabinet meetings is an unconstitutional and unreasonable argument," and "sophistry that directly denies the president's administrative supervisory authority and the government's leadership structure stipulated by the Constitution and the Government Organization Act."
In a subsequent post, President Lee wrote that both the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Agency are merely agencies led by chiefs under the command of the president, the prime minister, and relevant ministers, adding that people do not need to worry because he will not direct investigations of specific cases.
He also pointed out that democratic control is just as important as operational independence, and sharing the direction of state administration is also necessary, noting that treating investigative agencies as special entities and giving them preferential treatment is an erroneous practice of the past.
[President Lee Jae-myung (Cabinet meeting, October 13): "We certainly do not intervene in the handling of specific cases. However, sharing the general direction or policies of state administration is very important."]
According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, there has not been a single precedent of a prosecutor general attending a Cabinet meeting over the past 25 years since 2000.
The People Power Party criticized the move, asking since when AI answers have replaced the legitimacy of state administration, and one lawmaker wrote on social media, "I received an answer from Gemini stating that it is an inappropriate act to ask Gemini about major state affairs and use it as the basis for legitimacy."
With arguments pointing out that while the presidential office previously criticized the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court's refusal of a re-recommendation as deviating from established custom, it is now applying a different standard to this controversy, the debate is expected to continue.
(Video by Jung Sang-bo, Yoon Hyeong | Video Editing by Wi Won-yang | Design by Yang Ki-tae)
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