Cho Kuk Innovation Party voices strong concern over former prosecutor nominated to lead major crimes agency

The Cho Kuk Innovation Party has strongly opposed the nomination of former prosecutor Kim Ji-yong as the first head of South Korea’s Serious Crime Investigation Agency, warning that the appointment could weaken the principles of prosecutorial reform.

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We express strong concern that a prosecutor-minded person who undermines the principles of prosecutorial reform could become head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.

Kim, 58, a former deputy chief prosecutor at the Gwangju High Prosecutors’ Office, was nominated on the 7th. Lim Myeong-hee, a spokesperson for the party, said appointing another former prosecutor to command the newly established investigative institution could invite criticism that the separation of investigations and indictments existed only on paper.

Lim also called it regrettable that police officials had been excluded from the pool of candidates considered for the position. The party said Kim’s background raised concern that the influence of the existing prosecution establishment could effectively continue through the new agency.

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Appointing another person from the prosecution to command the newly established investigative institution cannot avoid criticism that investigations and indictments have been separated only institutionally.

Lim pointed to Kim’s role in November 2020, when he signed a group statement opposing the suspension of then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol while serving as deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office.

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It is also very regrettable that candidates from the police were excluded during the process of forming the pool of candidates for head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.