[Editorial] End the "Kim Jiyong Controversy" and Focus on Closing Investigative Gaps

Kim Jiyong, nominee for chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, takes an oath as a witness at a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Yoon Dongju.

The confirmation hearing for Kim Jiyong, nominee to become the first chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), was held today. It comes 36 days after his nomination. The issue has emerged as a flashpoint in the ruling bloc, making developments after the hearing worth watching. The SCIA, which investigates seven major categories of crime, including corruption, economic crimes and narcotics offenses, is a key investigative agency, but it launched on October 2 without a chief and under an acting leadership. It has yet to secure all the personnel and facilities it needs, and coordination among agencies remains inadequate. This is why the controversy surrounding Kim must be resolved without delay. We hope today's hearing will provide an opportunity to do so. The focus must now be on ensuring the smooth implementation of the criminal justice system overhaul, the first in 78 years.

It is both necessary and proper to thoroughly examine the first SCIA chief nominee's record as a prosecutor, political impartiality and ability to run the organization. However, vetting must be conducted promptly and within established procedures and institutions. If it devolves into political bickering or a power struggle, the debate is liable to lose sight of what matters. After opposition from hardliners in the ruling bloc, Kim underwent the unusual step of additional vetting. On September 17, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said that "the allegations raised in connection with nominee Kim were found to be untrue." Even so, President Lee Jae-myung did not send the request for a confirmation hearing to the National Assembly until October 2, the day the SCIA launched. That was far too late.

The controversy surrounding Kim came to the fore around the launch of the SCIA and the Prosecution Agency, but what truly matters is ensuring the new criminal justice system works as intended. The investigative capabilities built up over many years and at great expense must not be weakened. Yet gaps in investigations into serious crimes have already become a reality: equipment and devices used in narcotics investigations, for example, have not yet been transferred from the Prosecution Agency to the SCIA. Even if the transfer is approved, it will take time because the Prosecution Agency is under the Ministry of Justice, while the SCIA is under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Only 1,900 of the SCIA's 2,874 authorized positions have been filled, a staffing rate of 66.1%.

The issue of the SCIA chief must be settled through today's hearing. The government must accurately assess the problems arising from the overhaul of the criminal justice system and the extent of the inconvenience to the public, then present solutions. It must step up efforts to recruit personnel, establish the conditions needed for investigations and build a system for cooperation among agencies, bringing together its capabilities to prevent gaps in investigations and reduce harm and anxiety among the public. The vacancy in the National Police Agency chief's post, which has lasted more than 300 days, must also be resolved without delay.

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