Ex-Prosecutor Kim Ji-yong Nominated as Final Candidate for First Chief of Serious Crime Investigation Agency

Kim Ji-yong, a lawyer with a background as a prosecutor, has been selected as the final candidate for the inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Yun Ho-joong held a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul today (Sept. 7) and announced plans to recommend lawyer Kim Ji-yong to President Lee Jae-myung as the candidate for the first head of the agency.

Kim, who has been working as a managing partner at Apex Law Firm, is in the 28th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and has previously served as the head of the Criminal Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and as the deputy chief prosecutor of the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office.

In August 2020, during the tenure of then-Minister Choo Mi-ae, he was promoted to prosecutor general in accordance with the policy favoring prosecutors from the criminal and trial departments.

During his tenure as the head of the Criminal Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, he oversaw the case-handling system between the police and prosecutors, including police-transferred cases and requests for supplementary and reinvestigations.

He also has experience in special investigations, having served as the head of the Special Investigation Division at the Daegu District Prosecutor's Office in 2014, and has worked across various fields including criminal affairs, trial, and inspection.

Previously, the Recommendation Committee for the Chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency reviewed the qualifications and expertise of 11 candidates submitted through public nominations, and recommended four candidates to Minister Yun, including lawyer Kim, lawyer Moon Hong-joo, lawyer Kim Kwan-jung, and Myongji University Professor Lee Yoon-je.

Once Minister Yun officially recommends lawyer Kim as the candidate for the agency chief, President Lee will request the National Assembly to conduct a personnel hearing procedure for the nominee.

Following the conclusion of the National Assembly's confirmation hearing, President Lee will appoint lawyer Kim as the inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency to a two-year term.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.