President Lee to Nominate Kim Ji-yong as Inaugural Chief of Serious Crime Investigation Agency

President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a state visit to France, has decided to nominate lawyer Kim Ji-yong, who was recommended by Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung, as the candidate for the inaugural head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), the presidential office announced on the 7th (local time).

Kang Yu-jung, Senior Spokesperson for the presidential office, made the announcement during a briefing at the press center set up in Paris that day, adding, "President Lee plans to request the National Assembly to hold a confirmation hearing for candidate Kim."

Spokesperson Kang noted, "Candidate Kim is an expert in investigative law and is the right person to swiftly establish the SCIA ahead of its launch in October."

Kang added, "Under the new criminal justice system separating investigation and prosecution, we expect him to successfully lead the SCIA based on his past investigative experience and organizational management capabilities."

Earlier, Minister Yun held a briefing at the Government Complex-Seoul the previous day to announce the plan to recommend candidate Kim.

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

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

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

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

Meanwhile, candidate Kim has publicly argued in the past for the necessity of maintaining the prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers.

Regarding this, Minister Yun stated, "I do not think he denied the intent of prosecutorial reform," adding, "I expect there will be opportunities for the candidate to explain the details himself through the confirmation hearing."

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