President Lee to Nominate Kim Jiyong as Head of Serious Crimes Investigation Agency: "The Right Person for Rapid Agency Establishment"

"We Will Soon Request a Confirmation Hearing in the National Assembly"

"Expected to Successfully Lead the Agency Under the New Criminal Justice System"

President Lee Jae-myung, who is on a state visit to France, has decided to nominate attorney Kim Ji-yong as the first Commissioner of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, as recommended by Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung.

President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung are seen disembarking from Air Force One at Paris Orly Airport, France, on the 7th (local time) and moving to the protocol vehicle. 2026.9.8 Yonhap News Agency

Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung announced this at a press briefing held at the press center in downtown Paris on the 7th (local time), and added, "President Lee plans to request a confirmation hearing for the nominee in the National Assembly."

Kang also stated, "Nominee Kim is an expert in investigative law and is the right person to ensure the prompt establishment of the agency, which is set to launch in October. We expect him to successfully lead the agency based on his investigative experience and organizational management skills under the new criminal justice system that separates investigation and prosecution."

Minister Yoon held a briefing at the government complex in Seoul the previous day and announced plans to recommend Kim. Kim, a former prosecutor, is known within the prosecution as a gentle and reasonable leader. It is said that during his service at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, he served as the chairman of a guitar club, demonstrating his approachable and affable character.

In terms of his investigative record, he was recognized for his work on cases such as the recovery of funds (2.5 million won) from former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, the military service corruption involving singer Psy, and the LG Card insider information case. While serving as the head of the Criminal Affairs Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in 2021, he was also part of the command line overseeing the "illegal travel ban on former Vice Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui" case at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office.

However, it is considered a weakness that since his role as head of the Special Investigation Department over a decade ago, he has had relatively little direct investigative experience in major corruption and financial crimes. Minister Yoon, apparently conscious of this point, explained the background of the nomination by saying, "We are severing the traditional practices of special prosecutors, but his appointment is meant to properly transfer investigative expertise to the new agency."

The most pressing task is "chemical integration." Among the total 2,874 staff of the new agency, only 1,761 have applied for special appointments from the prosecution, so more than 1,000 positions need to be filled through external recruitment, such as from police officers and attorneys. The urgent challenge is to integrate personnel with vastly different investigative methods and reporting structures to minimize friction. In addition, it is essential to ensure that supplementary investigations into livelihood crimes are not neglected due to large-scale cases, and to address concerns about political neutrality that may arise if the Minister of the Interior and Safety exercises investigative command and supervision rights (Article 6 of the law).

Meanwhile, it was reportedly a major concern among the ruling party to minimize "confirmation hearing risks" in this appointment process. Initially, former High Prosecutors' Office Chief Kim Kwan-jung was strongly considered for the first commissioner role, but the situation changed rapidly after it was discovered that he had recently represented a case involving virtual assets.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.