President Lee Jaemyung to Kim Jiyong: "Investigate rigorously, without regard to friend or foe ... Prove the agency's reason for existence through results"

Vacancy at the Top Ends Two Weeks After SCIA Launch
Encouraging Message as Kim Jiyong Begins First Day on the Job
"Swift Investigations Into Power-Related Corruption and White-Collar Crime"
Emphasizes Political Neutrality and Impartiality
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President Lee Jaemyung urged Kim Jiyong, the first chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), on Oct. 16 to “investigate swiftly and rigorously, and impartially, without distinguishing between friend and foe.”

President Lee Jaemyung speaks at a senior secretaries’ meeting at the Blue House on Oct. 15, 2026. Yonhap News.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) that morning, President Lee said, “I congratulate and encourage the launch of the SCIA together with the people,” and made the request. He said that “there are mixed concerns and expectations about the newly launched system separating investigation and prosecution, which is being introduced for the first time in decades since the establishment of the government, and particularly about the SCIA.”

He went on to stress, “I ask you to investigate serious crimes with a strong sense of historical responsibility and courage, without distinguishing between friend and foe, swiftly and rigorously, and impartially. These include corruption by powerful people who destroy the lives of ordinary, hardworking citizens, white-collar crime, and financial and securities crimes.”

President Lee particularly called on the agency to “dispel the distrust and concerns held by some and prove the significance and necessity of its existence through its track record and results, given that the SCIA was established after considerable national turmoil.” He added, “Together with the people, I will trust and watch over Chief Kim Jiyong and the SCIA investigators.”

President Lee's message came as Chief Kim reported for his first day of work that morning and began his duties in earnest. The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee held a confirmation hearing for Kim on Oct. 14 and adopted a report on the hearing's proceedings on Oct. 15. President Lee also approved Kim's appointment that day, ending the leadership vacuum that had lasted about two weeks since the SCIA's launch on Oct. 2.

Kim's appointment followed considerable controversy. While serving as a prosecutor in 2020, Kim joined a statement opposing disciplinary action against Yoon Suk Yeol, then prosecutor general. His criticism in 2022 of efforts to curtail prosecutors' direct investigative powers also became controversial. Some hard-line members of the Democratic Party of Korea, along with some in the broader ruling bloc, including the Rebuilding Korea Party, objected, saying the appointment did not align with the purpose of prosecutorial reform. Despite the controversy, President Lee decided to appoint Kim after conducting additional vetting.

Some interpret President Lee's repeated emphasis that day on “investigations without distinguishing between friend and foe” and “proving the agency's reason for existence through results” as being connected to this controversy. The message is seen as meaning that the separation of investigation and prosecution, a core element of prosecutorial reform, must not turn into investigations targeting a particular political camp or political retaliation, and that the legitimacy of the reform must be secured through tangible investigative results in cases involving abuses of power and crimes that harm people's livelihoods.

Chief Kim also faces the tasks of stabilizing the organization and building its investigative capacity. The SCIA launched with about 1,900 staff out of an authorized complement of 2,874, while many department head positions at its headquarters remain vacant. Other urgent priorities include establishing systems for transferring cases and cooperating with the police and the Prosecution Service, and quickly building specialized investigative capabilities in areas such as stock-price manipulation and large-scale financial crime.

There is also interest in which case Chief Kim will select as the agency's first target for investigation once the organization is in place. It could become the first test of whether the new criminal justice system can achieve both of its goals: effectively responding to crime and protecting the rights and interests of the public.

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