Cheong Wa Dae: "Examining Kim Ji-yong Thoroughly... Difficult to State Timeline"

Kang Yu-jung, senior spokesperson for the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae, stated today (September 19) regarding the additional vetting of attorney Kim Ji-yong, who was nominated to lead the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, "We are looking into it quite thoroughly."

Appearing on MBC Radio earlier in the day, Senior Spokesperson Kang responded to the host's question about when the issue regarding the agency chief's nomination would be resolved, saying, "As I understand that additional vetting is currently underway, it is difficult to give a specific timeframe just yet."

Kang added, "Many people have been raising various concerns (about attorney Kim), haven't they? We are not letting those comments go unheeded, and we are currently conducting additional vetting on those matters as well."

Earlier, Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung recommended Kim as the inaugural chief of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency on September 7. Cheong Wa Dae had initially stated that President Lee decided to nominate Kim and would soon request a confirmation hearing from the National Assembly.

However, President Lee ordered additional vetting after returning from an official visit to France on September 10, and a confirmation hearing request has not yet been submitted to the National Assembly.

The prevailing analysis is that the re-vetting order was prompted by opposition centered around hardliners within the broader ruling coalition, who argue that Kim, a former prosecutor, is someone who opposed prosecution reform in the past.

In particular, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party has voiced fierce criticism, likening Kim to a "mole" and Nazi war criminal "Adolf Eichmann," while asking, "Why are you anxious, being carried on the backs of insurrectionary forces?"

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