Kim Ji-yong, the nominee for the inaugural chief of the Major Crime Investigation Agency (MCIA), has directly refuted allegations that he is close to the pro-Yoon faction, stating that he was demoted under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration while serving as a prosecutor.

He also argued that his past opposition to the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights during his tenure as a prosecutor was intended to protect victims, not the prosecution service.

Meeting reporters on the 14th in the lobby of the Changseong-dong Annex at the Government Complex Seoul, where the preparation team for the MCIA chief confirmation hearing is located, Nominee Kim stated his position regarding the political controversies surrounding him.

Kim said, "I was demoted in the first prosecution personnel reshuffle carried out after the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and I retired about a year later in September 2023. Furthermore, while serving in the prosecution, I was never classified as close to any specific individual, nor did I ever receive any benefits on the grounds of being close to anyone."

Some members of the Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party have expressed opposition, arguing that Kim is unsuited for the post of inaugural MCIA chief given his 24-year career in the prosecution and the fact that he opposed the complete stripping of prosecutors' investigative powers while serving as a chief prosecutor.

On the same day, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min urged Kim to step down via social media, stating, "Nominee Kim has walked the path of a typical pro-Yoon, political prosecutor, having participated in a statement opposing disciplinary action against Yoon Suk-yeol, the excessive indictment of prosecutor Jung Jin-woong related to Han Dong-hoon, and the investigative command line for the illegal departure prevention case of Kim Hak-ui."

Kim also expressed his stance on prosecution reform, stating, "I am deeply reflecting on the fact that the prosecution service, where I once served, lost public trust and ultimately faced dissolution, and I actively agree with the grand principle of criminal justice reform: the separation of investigation and indictment."

He added, "I believe that the nation's criminal justice system exists to protect the lives and safety of the people from crime and to guarantee their peaceful daily lives."

Explaining his past advocacy for the necessity of supplementary investigations by prosecutors, Kim stated, "It was not for the prosecution, but out of concern and conviction that there must be no gaps in protecting crime victims."

He went on to say, "I understand that the National Assembly, the representative body of the people, recently revised the Criminal Procedure Act through democratic procedures under the principle of separating investigation and indictment, introducing various systems to protect crime victims."

He further noted, "I believe it is now time to respect the legislative intent of the National Assembly, successfully establish the MCIA, and focus our capabilities on ensuring that the new criminal justice system takes deep root amid public trust."

(Photo: Yonhap News)