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🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

All four candidates for major-crimes agency chief come from prosecution or special-prosecutor backgrounds, while crypto-fraud case draws scrutiny

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • South Korea’s candidates for the first chief of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency have been narrowed to three lawyers and one law professor, all with prosecutorial or special-prosecutor experience.
  • A victims’ group opposes Kim Kwan-jung over his past defense of suspects in the KOK cryptocurrency-fraud case, while Kim says he handled the case only during the investigation.
  • The next chief must balance investigative expertise with political neutrality and independence before the agency launches on October 2.

All four finalists to lead South Korea’s new Major Crimes Investigation Agency have backgrounds in prosecution or special-prosecutor teams. The shortlist includes lawyers Kim Kwan-jung, Kim Ji-yong and Moon Hong-joo, along with Lee Yoon-je, a law professor at Myongji University.

The agency is scheduled to launch on October 2 and will take charge of investigations into major crimes. Its first chief will therefore face the task of combining investigative experience with political neutrality and independence. Kim Kwan-jung, Kim Ji-yong and Lee are former prosecutors. Lee also served as a special prosecutor’s aide on the team led by Cho Eun-seok, which investigated an insurrection case. Moon is a former judge who served as an aide to the special-prosecutor team led by Min Joong-ki, which investigated allegations involving Kim Keon Hee.

Concerns emerged on the 6th, before the interior minister’s final recommendation of a candidate. The Financial Victims’ Solidarity, a civic group formed by victims of financial fraud, criticized Kim Kwan-jung’s work defending suspects in the KOK cryptocurrency-fraud case. In a statement the previous day, the group said, “We will strongly oppose the appointment.”

We will strongly oppose the appointment.

· Financial Victims’ SolidarityThe group opposed Kim Kwan-jung’s possible appointment because of his defense work in the KOK cryptocurrency-fraud case.

The KOK case concerns allegations that suspects accepted and misappropriated about 2 trillion won in cryptocurrency deposits between 2021 and 2023. Prosecutors indicted several suspects in January last year on charges including fraud under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes. Kim said, “The client approached me, and I represented them during the investigation stage. I am not involved in the trial.”

Kim Ji-yong was in the command line at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in July 2021, when prosecutors indicted Lee Kwang-cheol, then a senior presidential secretary, and others over the alleged illegal release from detention of former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui. The Supreme Court later acquitted all defendants in that case. Kim later resigned after being transferred to a deputy chief prosecutor post at the Gwangju High Prosecutors’ Office during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Moon and Lee, both former special-prosecutor team members who investigated several People Power Party politicians, could face opposition from the opposition bloc over concerns about neutrality. The interior minister will recommend one final candidate to the president, who will appoint the chief after a parliamentary confirmation hearing.

The client approached me, and I represented them during the investigation stage. I am not involved in the trial.

· Kim Kwan-jungHe responded to criticism of his role in the KOK case.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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