Late-night X posts: 'Prosecution reform is not about revenge'
Lee says Kim was demoted after ordering indictment of Yoon's mother-in-law
President warns that barring all former prosecutors would 'ruin' the agency
President Lee Jae Myung has pushed back against criticism that Kim Ji-yong, his nominee to head the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, is a "pro-Yoon" prosecutor, saying objective verification showed Kim had in fact demonstrated an "anti-Yoon track record." Lee also said excluding all former prosecutors from the agency would amount to sabotaging it. The appointment process, including submission of a confirmation hearing request to the National Assembly, is expected to resume shortly.
Lee posted a series of messages on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday and Thursday, directly responding to users who opposed Kim's nomination. He said the government's review of objective evidence found that Kim had been promoted to prosecutor general rank by then-Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae under the Moon Jae-in administration, and that while serving as head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's criminal division under then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim had ordered the reinvestigation and indictment of Yoon's mother-in-law, Choi Eun-soon, on charges of suborning perjury — a case that had initially been closed without charges. Lee said Kim was subsequently demoted to a regional deputy prosecutor post after Yoon won the presidency and ultimately resigned under what amounted to a forced departure.
"Setting everything else aside, it is hard to understand criticizing this person as a pro-Yoon prosecutor," Lee said. "I was the biggest victim of the political prosecution under the Yoon administration, and ensuring that such a thing never happens again is one of the top priorities of this government. The fact that Kim's record is not pro-Yoon — if anything, anti-Yoon — has already been confirmed through media coverage."
In a second post published about two hours later, Lee again addressed supporters' concerns and elaborated on what he said was the true purpose of prosecution reform. He asked why, if all former prosecutors were to be disqualified, figures such as Assembly member Park Eun-jeong, Prosecutor General Im Eun-jeong and Assembly member Lee Sung-yoon — all of whom are current or former prosecutors — would be treated any differently.
"Telling us not to appoint a former prosecutor who is an investigation expert to lead a major investigative agency simply because they once worked as a prosecutor is the same as saying we should ruin the agency," Lee said. "And if the agency cannot function properly, what becomes of the country's order and public safety?"
Lee said the goal of prosecution reform was not revenge against the prosecution or an effort to destroy it. "Is it not about separating investigation from indictment, ensuring that neither function can ever again be abused by those in power, and making sure both work properly and fairly?" he said.
He added that neither governance nor prosecution reform should be driven by personal grievances or used to settle scores, nor should either serve the interests of any particular individual or group. "I believe the goal of prosecution reform is to separate the prosecution's investigative and indictment functions while ensuring that both operate fairly and effectively for the people and the state, free from political interference," he said.
sunpine@heraldcorp.com
