After Lee's warning, Kim joins in...Ruling camp rift over prosecution reform turns to ‘public-service discipline’

[Financial News] Internal ruling camp tensions over prosecution reform and the appointment of the first head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency are spilling over into questions of discipline among public officials. This follows President Lee Jae-myung’s public criticism of internal attacks carried out in the name of reform, and Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok joining in on the 12th. With the government’s order to inspect Lim Eun-jung, head of the Gwangju District Serious Crime Investigation Agency, also adding to the mix, Gyeonggi’s parliamentary audit and the confirmation hearing for the agency chief nominee are taking place one after the other, raising the possibility that the internal rift could spread to the National Assembly.
Appearing that day on the Democratic Party of Korea’s YouTube channel ‘Minty07,’ Kim criticized internal attacks over prosecution reform and the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. ‘There has been ongoing criticism that, as the logic or target changes, the president or the party is continually being dragged along,’ he said. Asked about the public warning President Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter) on the 9th, Kim said, ‘The president values reason and is open to criticism, so wasn’t he continuing to express his concerns about rationality?’ He added, ‘I think frustration is the strongest feeling underlying it.’
Earlier, President Lee criticized the practice of ‘demanding senior positions despite lacking the ability, trying to bend appointments and even national policy to one’s will, and, when that fails, invoking radical reform as a banner to justify internal attacks.’ Political circles interpreted the message as targeting those who have opposed the nomination of Kim and other appointments, including Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Yong-min, and Lim. The president did not, however, name anyone directly.
The government is also highlighting the issue of discipline among public officials. Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung ordered an inspection of Lim and raised the question of whether public officials had engaged in political activity. Kim also said, ‘I get an overwhelming number of comments telling me, “Why on earth are you leaving this alone?”’ He went on to stress the roles and responsibilities of public officials, saying, ‘The ruling party can raise issues internally as much as it wants, while public officials would do better to take a different approach.’
Differences remain within the ruling camp. Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Joo-min voiced support for the inspection’s aim of restoring discipline among public officials, while arguing that the same standards should also apply to prosecutors’ collective protests in the past. He also said that Kim Ji-yong’s past opposition to the reallocation of investigative powers between prosecutors and police should be examined at the confirmation hearing.
The internal rift over prosecution reform has also emerged as a major factor in this week’s parliamentary audits and confirmation hearing. Choo, who has publicly opposed Kim’s nomination, will appear at the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee’s audit of Gyeonggi Province on the 13th. Kim’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for the following day, the 14th, and debate is expected to continue over the fitness of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency’s inaugural chief and the direction of prosecution reform.

[email protected] Kim Gyeong-min Reporter