'Cowardly Choice' vs. 'Principled Anti-Yoon': Pan-Ruling Camp Divided

[Anchor]

The confirmation hearing for Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to be the inaugural head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, concluded late at night. Kim singled out former President Yoon Suk Yeol as a prime example of a political prosecutor, drawing a line against allegations surrounding him as a pro-Yoon prosecutor. The ruling and opposition parties agreed to adopt the confirmation hearing report this morning (October 15).

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin reports.

[Reporter]

The "assault and abuse of authority case involving prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong" came under scrutiny at yesterday's confirmation hearing for Kim Ji-yong, the nominee for head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency.

Prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong was indicted on charges of engaging in a physical scuffle while attempting to seize the mobile phone of Han Dong-hoon, who was then a senior prosecutor, in connection with the so-called "Channel A incident," but his acquittal was later finalized. Representative Yoon Kun-young of the Democratic Party, affiliated with the pro-Moon Jae-in faction, criticized Kim, who was then deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, saying that while Kim claimed he opposed Jeong's indictment, he nevertheless signed off on it and made a "cowardly choice" during the fact-finding investigation.

[Rep. Yoon Kun-young / Democratic Party: You said you were opposed to it.]

[Kim Ji-yong / Nominee for Head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency: I was opposed.]

[Rep. Yoon Kun-young / Democratic Party: Then you should submit the materials showing your opposition.]

[Kim Ji-yong / Nominee for Head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency: If I had been asked to submit supporting materials showing my opposition, of course I would have submitted them.]

Nominee Kim explained that his participation in a statement in 2020 opposing the disciplinary action against Yoon Suk Yeol, who was prosecutor general at the time, was due to "procedural issues."

When asked to name the "number one political prosecutor," Kim gave this response:

[Rep. Park Duk-hyum / People Power Party: There must be someone you have in mind who could be designated as a political prosecutor, isn't there?]

[Kim Ji-yong / Nominee for Head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency: Former Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol would likely be the very first in terms of exerting a negative influence.]

Lawmakers aligned with the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction of the Democratic Party defended Kim as a "principled anti-Yoon prosecutor," citing that he was transferred to a regional post in the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's first personnel reshuffle.

[Rep. Chae Hyun-il / Democratic Party: He was demoted to deputy chief prosecutor of the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office. As I see it, he is anti-Yoon, anti-Yoon.]

People Power Party lawmakers sharply criticized Kim as an "opportunist," pointing out that while he explained the side effects of abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigative authority four years ago when he was head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Criminal Department, he has now made a complete reversal in his stance.

[Rep. Kang Myung-koo / People Power Party: You also stated (in the past) that supplementary investigative authority should be maintained. You now believe that your thinking from four years ago was wrong, don't you? Was there a particular reason for this change?]

[Kim Ji-yong / Nominee for Head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency: I was emphasizing that if supplementary investigative authority were abruptly abolished, there could be a gap in victim protection.]

Regarding Lim Eun-jeong, head of the Gwangju Regional Office of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, who became subject to an inspection ordered by Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung after publicly criticizing him, Nominee Kim drew a line against the possibility of taking personnel action against her, saying, "I will cooperate with her to ensure smooth operations."

(Video Editing: Park Seon-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.