Remarks made at National Assembly confirmation hearing before interior committee
Kim Ji-yong, nominee for inaugural director of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, named former President Yoon Suk Yeol — also a former prosecutor general — as the top "political prosecutor" at his confirmation hearing Wednesday, and said it would be hard to deny that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, a former justice minister, belongs in the same category.
At the hearing before the National Assembly's Interior and Safety Committee, People Power Party lawmaker Park Deok-heum asked Kim to name the No. 1 political prosecutor, given that prosecutorial reform was being driven by political interference within the agency. Kim said he believed Yoon had "the greatest negative influence" of anyone.
When Park then asked who came next, Kim said "Yoon Suk Yeol and his circle." When Park followed up by asking whether Han Dong-hoon was also in that group, Kim said, "I think it would be hard to deny."
In his opening remarks, Kim pledged that the new agency would not repeat the practices that had drawn public concern — targeted investigations, fishing-expedition probes and investigations premised on indictment from the outset. "We will investigate based solely on evidence and legal principles," he said, "and will not hesitate to close a case decisively if a crime is not established."
Lawmakers also pressed Kim on two cases that arose during his time in the prosecutorial chain of command: the misconduct assault case involving former prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong and the travel ban case involving former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui. Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yun Geon-yeong challenged Kim, saying the then-head of the inspection division had reportedly found no grounds for a non-indictment recommendation while Kim had taken the opposite view. Kim said, "I said he would be acquitted."
Yun then noted that former Cheong Wa Dae civil affairs secretary Lee Gwang-cheol had been indicted in connection with the Kim Hak-eui travel ban case, and asked whether Kim had filed a formal objection opposing the indictment. Kim said he had not, adding that he did not believe Lee's actions constituted a criminal offense.
The hearing also touched on the agency's decision to launch an internal audit of Lim Eun-jeong, director of the Gwangju branch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, who had been publicly and repeatedly criticizing Kim as an opponent of prosecutorial reform. People Power Party lawmaker Park Sang-woong asked whether Kim considered it appropriate that Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung had ordered the audit, making the Lim case the agency's first major task. Kim said he understood the order to be "a lawful exercise of supervisory authority."
When People Power Party lawmaker Joo Ho-young asked whether Lim was being openly defiant and whether Kim could actually manage her, Kim said he believed Lim also wanted the agency to take root successfully, and that he would work with her to run it well.
bell@heraldcorp.com
