President Lee Presents Appointment Letter to Kim Jiyong, Urges Him to Investigate "Without Distinguishing Between Your Side and Mine"

Appointment letters presented to eight, including Chief of Staff Lim Kwanghyun and newly appointed ministers
Emphasis on the Serious Crime Investigation Agency's political neutrality and public trust
To Song Doo-hwan, chair of the Itaewon Disaster S

On Oct. 19, President Lee Jaemyung urged Kim Jiyong, the inaugural chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, to handle cases that raise public questions according to principle, "without distinguishing between your side and mine." The agency, launched amid a sweeping overhaul of the judicial system that separates investigation from indictment, must earn public trust through political neutrality and investigative results, he said. He also stressed to Song Doohwan, chair of the Special Investigation Commission on the October 29 Itaewon Disaster, the need to fully address public questions surrounding the tragedy.

President Lee Jaemyung poses for a commemorative photo with Kim Jiyong, chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, after presenting him with his letter of appointment at the Blue House on Oct. 19, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Kang Yujeong, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a written briefing that President Lee made the remarks after presenting appointment letters to eight people, including seven newly appointed minister-level officials and Kim, and holding a tea meeting with them at the Blue House that afternoon.

President Lee first encouraged Kim, saying, "You've been through a lot," and urged him to handle cases that raise public questions according to principle, without distinguishing between the ruling and opposition parties or political camps.

In particular, President Lee emphasized that the agency must earn public recognition of its reason for existing. He also said it must remember that many people are watching its actions. His remarks underscored that the legitimacy of the overhaul of investigative agencies must be demonstrated not through institutional changes themselves, but through fair investigations and tangible results.

Kim faced difficulties during the appointment process over the so-called controversy about "pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Suk Yeol) prosecutors," raised by some within the ruling camp. President Lee approved Kim's appointment on Oct. 15, the day the National Assembly adopted the confirmation hearing report. The agency, which launched without a chief on Oct. 2, filled the leadership vacancy when Kim officially began work on Oct. 16. As his first task, Kim ordered the formation of a task force to help the organization take root quickly and establish a system for responding to serious crimes.

President Lee's repeated emphasis that day on political neutrality and public trust appears to reflect his view that concerns surrounding the agency's launch must be dispelled and the legitimacy of the new investigative body established. In particular, establishing the principle that no one is above the law in investigations into serious crimes, including power-related corruption and financial and economic crimes, has emerged as a key challenge for the agency's inaugural chief.

President Lee also stressed the importance of establishing the facts to Song Doohwan, chair of the Special Investigation Commission on the Itaewon Disaster. Referring to the tragedy that occurred on Oct. 29, 2022, President Lee asked whether anything about it still puzzled the public and urged the commission to resolve those questions fully.

His remarks were interpreted as a call to go beyond identifying the causes of the tragedy and determining who was responsible, and to establish the facts to a degree the public can accept. Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the disaster, they reaffirmed the need for a thorough investigation and measures to prevent a recurrence.

President Lee Jaemyung poses for a commemorative photo after presenting a letter of appointment to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Lee Hyeongil at Cheong Wa Dae on the 19th. October 19, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Those receiving appointment letters that day also included Lee Hyeongil, deputy prime minister and minister of finance and economy; Kang Shincheol, minister of national defense; Hong Jiseon, minister of land, infrastructure and transport; and Lee Soyoung, minister of SMEs and startups. Ha Joonkyung, senior presidential policy secretary, and Lim Kigun, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, also received appointment letters.

At the end of the tea meeting, President Lee urged the newly appointed ministers to "share your opinions often" and added, "Feel free to contact me anytime."

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