Choo Mi-ae opposes Kim Ji-yong’s nomination to head the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency for the seventh time ... “Pro-Yoon and a prosecutorial institutionalist”

[Financial News] Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae reiterated her opposition to appointing Kim Ji-yong as head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, calling him “a pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Suk Yeol) prosecutor and a prosecutorial institutionalist.” After the Blue House rebutted the controversy over Kim’s alleged pro-Yoon ties, Choo responded in turn and called on the National Assembly to conduct a thorough personnel vetting.
Late at night on the 7th, Choo posted on her social media accounts, saying, “I call for a proper vetting of Kim,” and listed three reasons she considered him unqualified.
Choo claimed that when Kim was deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, he was a pro-Yoon and pro-Han (pro-Han Dong-hoon) prosecutor who took part in collective action opposing disciplinary action against then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol. She also said that, while head of the Criminal Affairs Department at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, he held a press conference publicly opposing prosecution reform. Choo further raised suspicions that, while deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, Kim approved the indictment of prosecutor Jung Jin-woong, who investigated the Channel A Prosecutorial Collusion Scandal involving former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon.
In particular, Choo directly rebutted the Blue House’s denial of Kim’s alleged pro-Yoon ties. The Blue House had earlier said, “The claim that Kim is a so-called pro-Yoon prosecutor is entirely false,” and explained that “the candidate was promoted to senior prosecutor on August 11, 2020, during Choo Mi-ae’s tenure as justice minister, having been deemed the right person to lead prosecution reform.”
Choo responded, “Whether someone is a pro-Yoon prosecutor is judged not by when they were promoted to senior prosecutor, but by whether they acted to shield Yoon Suk Yeol afterward.”
She went on to claim, “The culmination of pro-Yoon prosecutors’ efforts to shield Yoon Suk Yeol was the collective petition,” and said, “All the pro-Yoon senior prosecutors who signed it were promoted to senior prosecutor posts during the Moon Jae-in administration, when Yoon Suk Yeol had taken control of the prosecution.” She stressed, “There is no connection between having been promoted to senior prosecutor during the Moon Jae-in administration, when Choo Mi-ae was justice minister, and being a pro-Yoon prosecutor.”
Choo also questioned the use of Kim’s investigative abilities as grounds for his appointment. She pointed out that both the case involving prosecutor Jung Jin-woong’s assault in the course of official duties, which she claimed Kim had been involved in, and the case over the travel ban on Kim Hak-ui, linked to former Blue House civil affairs secretary Lee Gwang-cheol, ended in final acquittals.
She asked, “Does it make sense to bestow the first and highest honor in the history of investigative-agency appointments on someone who should share responsibility for the acquittals?”
Finally, Choo urged the National Assembly, ahead of the confirmation hearing, to conduct a thorough vetting, saying, “The public is watching. Let’s get the vetting right.” Her remarks were also seen as again taking aim at the Blue House’s position that Kim had no grounds for disqualification.
This is the seventh time Choo has stated on social media that she opposes Kim’s appointment.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter