Former prosecutor nominated to lead major crimes agency in move seen as avoiding CIO pitfalls

South Korea’s government has nominated a former prosecutor to lead the new Major Crimes Investigation Agency, a choice interpreted as an attempt to prevent the agency from following the troubled path of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

“

The prosecution’s special-investigation practices must certainly be eradicated, but investigative expertise must be transferred properly.

Interior Minister Yoon Ho-joong proposed Kim Ji-yong, 58, a former deputy chief prosecutor at the Gwangju High Prosecutors’ Office, as the agency’s first commissioner. Yoon said the government needed to transfer prosecutorial investigative expertise properly, even as it ended the prosecution service’s special-investigation practices.

The prosecution service is scheduled to be abolished on October 2. The new agency will then inherit investigative responsibilities for six major crimes, including corruption, economic crimes and drug offenses. Yoon said experience and leadership were especially important for stabilizing a newly created organization, explaining why the government selected a prosecutor rather than a former judge.

“

I judged that experience and leadership to guide a newly established organization stably were more important than anything else.

Kim joined the prosecution service as a prosecutor at the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office in 1999. He spent most of his career in criminal and trial divisions and also handled special investigations involving bribery and corporate misconduct. Kim said he would give his position on the nomination while going to work once a confirmation-hearing preparation team had been formed.

“

When a confirmation-hearing preparation team is formed, I will state my position on the nomination on my way to work.