“Accomplice to a political prosecutor” vs. “principled anti-Yoon figure”: Ruling party descends into infighting at Kim Ji-yong’s hearing for SCIA chief

[Financial News] The National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee wrapped up the confirmation hearing for Kim Ji-yong, nominee for the first chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, on the 14th after about 11 hours and 30 minutes of marathon scrutiny. It agreed to adopt the confirmation hearing report before the start of the parliamentary audit the following day, the 15th. Held 37 days after his nomination, the hearing saw opinions diverge even within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea over the qualifications of Kim, a former prosecutor, with factions effectively fighting a proxy battle over whether he was a “political prosecutor” or a “principled figure.”
Lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea’s pro-Moon Jae-in faction and its hard-line wing launched a fierce attack on Kim’s past, branding him a “political prosecutor.” Rep. Yoon Geon-young described the case in which former senior prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong was indicted for assault in the course of official duties as “a case of politically motivated prosecutors protecting Han Dong-hoon,” and criticized Kim for saying he could not remember whether he had approved the decision at the time. Rep. Park Ju-min also cited the case involving the travel ban on former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui and others, declaring that Kim was “an accomplice of political prosecutors.” Rep. Kim Young-bae, meanwhile, took issue with Kim’s participation in a statement opposing disciplinary action against then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol.
By contrast, lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea’s pro-Lee Jae Myung faction came to Kim’s defense. Rep. Chae Hyun-il noted that Kim had ordered a reinvestigation into a case involving Choi Eun-sun, the mother-in-law of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and was demoted after a change in administration, defending him as “a principled figure who does not pander to those in power.” Rep. Yang Bu-nam dismissed allegations that Kim was “pro-Yoon,” saying, “It would be laughable if former President Yoon, who is in prison, heard that.” Rep. Lee Hae-sik also defended Kim, pointing to the difficulty of filing written objections given the nature of the prosecution service.
The opposition People Power Party focused on divisions within the ruling camp. Rep. Park Sang-ung and others mocked its “family feud,” pointing to the extreme insults Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae had directed at Kim, including calling him a “spy” and a “Nazi war criminal.” Rep. Kang Myeong-gu criticized the 37 days it took to hold the hearing after Kim’s nomination, calling it “an infringement on the National Assembly’s vetting authority and a rushed launch.” The People Power Party also questioned Kim about his position on abolishing the prosecution’s supplementary investigative authority, calling his past participation in a statement opposing disciplinary action against then-Prosecutor General Yoon a case of “hypocrisy in which one’s stance changes depending on one’s position.”
In his closing remarks after the hearing, Kim said, “If given the opportunity to serve as chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, I will faithfully uphold the criminal justice reform principle of separating investigation from prosecution and respond firmly to serious crimes that threaten the lives and safety of the public.” National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee Chair Kim Young-jin of the Democratic Party of Korea urged him to “set a clear benchmark that the next chief can follow,” and said the ruling and opposition parties had agreed to adopt the confirmation hearing report before the National Assembly’s audit of the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 15th. The report is expected to include the range of views expressed by both sides at the hearing, and the Democratic Party plans to include an opinion that Kim is qualified.


[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter