The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced today (the 17th) that, as a result of additionally verifying past records during his service at the prosecution surrounding Kim Ji-yong, the nominee for the inaugural chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), it was found that Kim had opposed the indictment of individuals involved in the case of former Vice Minister of Justice Kim Hak-hee's emergency overseas travel ban and the case of Prosecutor Jung Jin-woong's abuse of power resulting in physical injury.

The ministry also stated that it confirmed that Kim had ordered a reinvestigation after determining that a previous non-indictment disposition was unjust in a case where relatives of former Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol were criminally filed.

Kim Min-jae, Vice Minister of the Interior and Safety and head of the SCIA Opening Preparation Corps, made the remarks during a briefing that day, saying, "Based on the facts verified so far regarding the controversies and suspicions raised by the media and the National Assembly, I would like to explain as follows."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety recommended Kim to the President as the inaugural SCIA chief nominee on the 7th, based on the recommendation from the SCIA Chief Candidate Recommendation Committee.

However, as concerns were subsequently raised in some ruling party circles regarding Kim's past conduct during his tenure at the prosecution and his stance on prosecution reform, President Lee Jae-myung ordered additional verification, and a request for a confirmation hearing has not yet been submitted to the National Assembly.

First, regarding the emergency overseas travel ban case of former Vice Minister Kim Hak-hee, Vice Minister Kim addressed the claim that Kim had approved the indictment of those involved, explaining, "Out of the four individuals indicted, three were already investigated and indicted before the nominee took office as the head of the Criminal Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, which was the command line for that case."

He added, "It was also confirmed that regarding the remaining one individual, the nominee expressed opposition to the indictment during an internal meeting and was not the final decision-maker for the indictment."

Regarding Prosecutor Jung Jin-woong's case involving the alleged abuse of power against former High Prosecutors' Office Chief Han Dong-hoon, the ministry explained that while it is true Kim was on the indictment command line as the deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office at the time, he opposed the indictment.

Vice Minister Kim stated, "When the nominee took office, the investigation was already underway," adding, "It was confirmed that the nominee clearly expressed opposition to the indictment from the perspective of a staff member and was not the final decision-maker for the indictment."


The ministry also addressed the controversies labeling him a "pro-Yoon prosecutor" and a "prosecutorial purist," which were raised due to his participation in a statement opposing the suspension of duties and disciplinary action requests against former Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol, as well as his expressed opposition to the so-called "complete deprivation of the prosecution's investigative powers" (geomsuwanbak).

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Kim participated in the statement with the intent that while Yoon's actions could constitute misconduct, parts of the disciplinary procedure were inappropriate, thereby requesting a reconsideration of the duty suspension and disciplinary action.

Regarding geomsuwanbak, Vice Minister Kim conveyed that Kim did not oppose the core concept of separating investigation and indictment itself, but rather expressed concern that gaps could occur if it was pursued without sufficient measures to protect the rights of socially vulnerable people and crime victims.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety also disclosed that Kim had ordered a reinvestigation into a case in which relatives of former Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol were criminally filed.

Vice Minister Kim stated, "After closely reviewing the records regarding the case where relatives of former Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol—which had been closed with a non-indictment disposition—were criminally filed, the nominee determined according to laws and principles that the non-indictment disposition was unjust and ordered a reinvestigation."

He added, "There are also opinions that such case handling influenced his appointment as the deputy chief prosecutor of the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office in the first personnel reshuffle after the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, effectively resulting in a demotion."

Vice Minister Kim stated, "The SCIA must properly implement the purpose of prosecution reform and place the protection of citizens' human rights as its top priority," adding, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has judged the nominee, who possesses investigative expertise, fairness, neutrality, and organizational management capabilities, to be the right person as the inaugural chief to flawlessly carry out these tasks."

However, he noted, "We will by no means take the concerns of the public lightly," and urged, "We ask that the nominee directly explain the qualifications, capabilities, past conduct, and major issues of the SCIA chief nominee at the upcoming confirmation hearing, and that the National Assembly conduct a rigorous verification."

(Photo: Yonhap News)