Presidential Office Relieves Burden With Kim Seungwon Withdrawal, but Kim Jiyong's Special Investigation Agency Nomination Is the Next Test

With Kim Seungwon's Voluntary Withdrawal, Presidential Office Eases Personnel Hurdle
Additional Vetting for Kim Jiyong Underway
Presidential Office: "Carefully Reviewing All Opinions"
Twelve Days Until Special Investigation Agency Launch
Both Proceeding and Withdrawing the Nomination Entail Burden

With Kim Seungwon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, voluntarily withdrawing from consideration after being embroiled in various allegations, the presidential office has managed to navigate a major personnel hurdle. However, the nomination of Kim Jiyong, who was immediately selected as the first Director of the Special Investigation Agency, has quickly emerged as the next major challenge. With the launch of the Special Investigation Agency just 12 days away, fierce opposition has erupted from within the ruling bloc and parts of the support base. This leaves the presidential office in a position where it is neither easy to push forward with the appointment nor to retract the nomination.

Candidate for Director General of the Central Investigation Agency Kim Jiyong Yonhap News

Former nominee Kim Seungwon held a press conference at the National Assembly on September 19 and announced his voluntary withdrawal from the candidacy, 20 days after being nominated on August 30. This also came just one day after President Lee Jaemyung stated at a press conference on September 18 that he would "make a careful decision, taking into account the public's expectations" regarding Kim's appointment. Former nominee Kim explained the background of his resignation by saying, "I deeply accept that I have not met the public's expectations" and "I thought that I should not add even a small burden to the government."

From the presidential office's standpoint, the political burden of pushing ahead with Kim's appointment has at least been eased for now. However, controversy over the personnel verification process remains unresolved, as both Kim Seungwon and previously Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Yong Hyein have now stepped down. The situation is further complicated by the need to start the selection process for a new Minister of Justice while also addressing the issue of Kim Jiyong's nomination for Director of the Special Investigation Agency.

The immediate concern is the selection of Kim Jiyong. Kang Yoojeong, Chief Spokesperson of the presidential office, said in an interview with MBC radio the previous day, "As far as I know, additional vetting is still underway, so it is difficult to specify a timeline," and added, "We are being very thorough." She continued, "Many people are sharing a variety of opinions, and we are taking none of them lightly. We are conducting further checks in response." This implies that concerns raised even among the support base regarding Kim's nomination will not be excluded from consideration during the decision-making process.

The nomination process for Kim was initially expected to proceed swiftly. Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, recommended Kim for the position of the first Director of the Special Investigation Agency on September 7, and the presidential office planned to submit a personnel hearing request to the National Assembly. However, after President Lee returned from a state visit to France and ordered further vetting, the follow-up procedures came to a halt. As of now, the request for a parliamentary hearing has not been submitted.

Some members of the ruling bloc and segments of the support base have focused their opposition on Kim's prosecutorial background and his past positions related to prosecutorial reform. Critics raise the question of whether Kim, a former prosecutor who previously spoke out against the reduction of prosecutorial investigative powers, is appropriate as the first head of the Special Investigation Agency, which symbolizes the separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers. It is interpreted that the presidential office launched additional vetting after President Lee's return to address these concerns.

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The key issue is that time is running short. The Special Investigation Agency is scheduled to officially launch on October 2 with a headquarters and six regional offices. The total number of personnel, including investigators, will be 2,874. The agency's preparatory team began the final stage of organizational structuring on September 15, including a second special assignment process for prosecutors and staff of the prosecution service. Given that the inaugural director must lead organizational appointments and establish the agency's investigative structure early on, it is difficult to leave the position vacant for an extended period.

On the other hand, forging ahead with Kim's nomination despite internal backlash is also a significant burden for the presidential office. There are concerns that if the presidential office prioritizes institutional completion of prosecutorial reform while clashing with core supporters over the appointment of the agency's first leader, the symbolism of reform could be undermined. Conversely, if the nomination is withdrawn after further vetting, the personnel verification controversy is likely to flare up again, as it did with the resignation of Kim Seungwon.

As a result, President Lee's concerns are expected to continue for some time. The selection of the director for the Special Investigation Agency is more than just choosing a single agency head; it is a complex equation that involves the principles of prosecutorial reform, the stable launch of the newly established agency, and meeting the expectations of the support base. An official from the ruling bloc stated, "The issue of the Special Investigation Agency director nomination is of a different nature from that of the Minister of Justice nominee," and added, "We will further verify the facts related to various claims and then send the personnel hearing request to the National Assembly."

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