Lee says on social media he will decide on appointment after National Assembly hearing

President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday proposed that critics wait for the outcome of the confirmation hearing for Kim Ji-yong, his nominee to head the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.

Lee shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, opposing Kim's appointment and said he would "first hold a National Assembly confirmation hearing before making a final decision on whether to proceed with the appointment."

He went on to say that "things in this world are not so straightforward — they are generally very complex, and that is especially true when it comes to evaluating people."

Addressing concerns raised within the ruling camp that Kim is a "pro-Yoon prosecutor," Lee said there are both positive and negative factors in assessing whether Kim is aligned with former President Yoon Suk Yeol. He added that it would be difficult to conclude Kim is simply pro-Yoon, given that Kim had ordered a reinvestigation into charges that Yoon's mother-in-law suborned perjury, was demoted by Yoon as a result, and was in effect forced out of the prosecution service.

Lee rebuffed critics, saying that while he "cannot claim Kim is a 100 percent perfect candidate," the nominee did not appear to warrant having the Ministry of Interior and Safety minister's recommendation ignored or being denied a National Assembly confirmation hearing.

Lee added that after an extended period of additional vetting, Kim was judged to be the strongest of the four candidates shortlisted by the independent nomination committee, making it inappropriate to demand a fresh recommendation. "This is not a case of the president appointing someone arbitrarily — it follows a complex and rigorous process set out in law: public recommendations, the committee's shortlist of four, the Interior Ministry minister's recommendation, and a National Assembly hearing," he said. "I invite you to watch the hearing results together."


sang@heraldcorp.com