Kim Ji-hoon, Nominee to Head the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency: "I Will Explain My Position in Detail at the Confirmation Hearing and Carry Out the Spirit of Prosecutorial Reform"

[Financial News] The Serious Crime Investigation Agency, also known as the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, launched without its inaugural chief on the 2nd. Kim Ji-hoon, the nominee for its first chief, said he would provide detailed explanations at the National Assembly confirmation hearing regarding the allegations and concerns surrounding him.
Speaking with reporters at the confirmation hearing preparation team’s office in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kim said, "I will explain my position in detail to the public at the upcoming confirmation hearing." He added, "I will also thoroughly explain my vision and resolve as the nominee for chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, as well as the direction in which the agency should move forward."
He also adopted a humble tone regarding the controversy raised during the additional vetting process. "I listened with a heavy heart to the voices of citizens who are concerned that prosecutorial reform might be rolled back," Kim said. "I once again realized how strong and earnest the public’s desire is for the new criminal justice system to succeed."
He continued, "I also have something to say about the concerns and worries raised by the media and others," but added, "I will regard these as the voices of the public, listen humbly and carefully, and prepare diligently for the confirmation hearing."
Kim also reiterated that he would faithfully uphold the aims of prosecutorial reform if appointed chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. "If I am given the opportunity to serve as chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, I will do my utmost to carry out the spirit of prosecutorial reform," he emphasized.
He added, "I will devote all my capabilities to ensuring that the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency fully develops its capacity to respond to serious crimes and quickly establishes itself as an investigative agency that protects the rights and interests of the public and victims."
Regarding the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency’s launch that day without a chief, Kim said, "I am assessing the circumstances surrounding its opening through various channels." He added that, after completing the confirmation process and taking office as chief, he would move quickly to establish the agency.
Kim is a former senior prosecutor who served as chief of the Special Investigations Division at the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office, head of Inspection Division 1 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea (SPO), chief of the Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office, head of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the SPO, and deputy chief prosecutor at the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office. Yun Ho-jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), recommended Kim as the first nominee for chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency on the 7th of last month, and President Lee Jae Myung nominated him the following day.
Subsequently, some members of the ruling camp argued that additional vetting was needed to determine whether Kim was suited to the aims of prosecutorial reform. They cited, among other things, his emphasis on the need for prosecutors to conduct supplementary investigations while serving as head of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the SPO and his participation in a statement by senior prosecutors opposing the suspension of then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol’s duties in 2020.
Kim had previously rejected claims that he was a close associate of a particular figure and expressed support for the fundamental principle of criminal justice reform: separating investigations from indictments.
President Lee Jae Myung approved the request for a confirmation hearing for Kim the previous day, and the request was submitted to the National Assembly on the 2nd. With the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency launching under an arrangement in which deputy chief Jeon Jong-min is serving as acting chief, the National Assembly’s confirmation process for appointing its first chief will now begin in earnest.
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter