President Lee Approves Kim Jiyong's Appointment as Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Chief... 37 Days After Nomination

After Confirmation Hearing Report for Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Chief Is Adopted,
President Lee Jaemyung Immediately Approves Kim Jiyong's Appointment

President Lee Jae Myung approved the appointment of Kim Jiyong as head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), Kang Yoo-jung, senior presidential spokesperson at Cheong Wa Dae, said in a press notice. The approval came 37 days after Kim's nomination and 13 days after the SCIA was launched.

Kim was nominated as the first candidate to head the SCIA on September 7, at the recommendation of Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung, but faced fierce opposition from hard-liners within the ruling party. They objected to Kim on the grounds that he was a pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Suk Yeol) prosecutor and had opposed prosecutorial reform. The appointment process was delayed after President Lee ordered additional vetting.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a meeting with senior secretaries and aides at Cheong Wa Dae on the 15th. 2026.10.15 Yonhap News Agency

However, President Lee said the additional vetting had found no problems and sent the request for a parliamentary confirmation hearing to the National Assembly on October 2. On September 30, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "It is hard to understand why someone like this is being criticized simply for being a pro-Yoon prosecutor." He added, "The fact that Prosecutor Kim Jiyong is not pro-Yoon but, if anything, has an anti-Yoon (anti-Yoon Suk Yeol) track record has already been fully confirmed by media reports."

Cheong Wa Dae had also previously said there were no grounds to object to Kim's appointment. Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, said on CBS Radio earlier that day, "(Kim's record) has been explained so thoroughly that it is difficult to point to any reason that would constitute a flaw or disqualification for serving as the first head of the SCIA." He added, "This is the time for all of us to join forces to get the newly launched SCIA operating normally as soon as possible and help it take root."

Meanwhile, the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee adopted a report on the confirmation hearing for Kim that day with agreement from both the ruling and opposition parties. The committee's overall assessment included both "qualified" and "unqualified" opinions. The Rebuilding Korea Party decided, as its official party position, to oppose Kim's appointment.

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