Heads of '4 Key Agencies' Vacant; Nomination of Kim Ji-yong Moves Forward Amid Backlash

[Anchor]

A new criminal justice system takes effect today (October 2), but the leadership positions of the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecution Office, the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, and the National Police Agency all remain vacant. Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to be the inaugural head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, faces criticism within the ruling camp alleging he was a prosecutor aligned with Yoon Suk Yeol. However, the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae is expected to send the personnel hearing request to the National Assembly within the day and proceed with the appointment process.

Reporter Go Jeong-hyeon reports.

[Reporter]

Presiding over a meeting of senior secretaries yesterday afternoon, President Lee Jae-myung evaluated that "with the launch of the Prosecution Office and the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, a new criminal justice system begins," calling it "a new chapter in the history of reforming South Korea's power institutions."

[President Lee Jae-myung: The flawed era in which prosecutors wielded unchecked power and, worse yet, acted as political prosecutors to suppress and eliminate political opponents, is coming to an end.]

Earlier, regarding the opposition from hardliners for prosecution reform in the pan-ruling camp who labeled nominee Kim Ji-yong, a former chief prosecutor, as a so-called "pro-Yoon prosecutor," President Lee posted a message of rebuttal and persuasion on social media, stating, "Nominee Kim's track record shows he was 'anti-Yoon, not pro-Yoon.' If we discard all former prosecutors, what about Representative Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party and Representative Lee Sung-yoon of the Democratic Party, who are also former prosecutors?"

Cheong Wa Dae also refuted the hardliners' allegations point by point, stating, "Additional vetting results showed no changes."

[Sung Ki-hong / Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication: During former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's tenure, he was deemed the right person for prosecution reform and was promoted to chief prosecutor....]

The presidential office also explained that during the trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's mother-in-law, Choi Eun-soon, nominee Kim ordered a reinvestigation during the process of a non-indictment decision, and was subsequently demoted to a regional post under the Yoon administration, meaning that claims of him being a "pro-Yoon prosecutor" are false.

Cheong Wa Dae announced that it would send the confirmation hearing request for nominee Kim to the National Assembly, effectively choosing to push straight through despite pushback from some supporters.

However, regarding nominee Kim, Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party sarcastically remarked, "I went there because it was recommended as a famous restaurant, but the hygiene was a mess," while Democratic Party Representative Kim Yong-min criticized, "What is the point of creating a special committee to punish pro-Japanese collaborators if we appoint a pro-Japanese collaborator as its chair?"

The People Power Party held an on-site general meeting of lawmakers in front of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency in Jung-gu, Seoul, yesterday, sharply criticizing that "the gates of hell for public security have opened due to the empty-shell Major Crimes Investigation Agency and Prosecution Office."

(Reported by Oh Young-choon and Kim Yong-woo | Video by Park Seon-soo | Graphics by Han Heung-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.