South Korea Picks Prosecutor as First Chief of Major Crimes Investigation Agency, Despite Emphasis on Supplementary Probes

South Korea has chosen a former prosecutor to lead its new Major Crimes Investigation Agency, placing the emphasis on investigative experience and organizational management even as the government pursues a separation between investigations and indictments.

Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-joong nominated lawyer Kim Ji-yong on the grounds that a prosecutor’s background should not automatically disqualify a candidate. “The practices of the special investigations divisions must certainly be eliminated, but the investigative expertise that prosecutors possess must be properly transferred to the Major Crimes Investigation Agency,” Yoon said at a briefing. He added that the key question was whether Kim could implement the reform’s purpose while leading the agency as a newly created institution.

Kim has received favorable assessments within the prosecution service for leading organizations smoothly. A former senior prosecutor described him as mild-mannered and well regarded, saying he had strong overall leadership abilities. Another prosecution official said Kim did not have extensive experience in special investigations or a pronounced political identity, but was regarded as an excellent communicator with an accommodating working style.

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The practices of the special investigations divisions must certainly be eliminated, but the investigative expertise that prosecutors possess must be properly transferred to the Major Crimes Investigation Agency.

His record also contains a point of tension with the government’s reform agenda. While serving as head of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Criminal Affairs Division in 2022, Kim publicly stressed the need for prosecutors to conduct direct supplementary investigations. Yoon said he did not view that position as a rejection of the purpose of prosecutorial reform.

With the first chief-designate selected, preparations for the agency’s scheduled launch on October 2 are expected to accelerate. The Interior and Safety Ministry finalized last month an organizational plan calling for 2,874 personnel, including a headquarters and six regional offices. It has already recruited 1,761 people through priority hiring of prosecutors and prosecution investigators. The remaining posts will be filled through competitive recruitment of experienced police officers, lawyers, accountants and patent attorneys. The president will appoint the chief after a parliamentary confirmation hearing. The position carries vice-ministerial rank and a two-year term.

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We prioritized whether he had the qualities to properly implement the purpose of the reform and sufficiently lead the Major Crimes Investigation Agency as a new organization, rather than treating his background as a prosecutor as grounds for exclusion.