Presidential Office Says Kim Ji-yong Is Not a Yoon Loyalist, Pushes Ahead With Appointment as Corruption Investigation Office Chief
President Lee Jae-myung on October 1 firmly signaled his intent to appoint Kim Ji-yong as the first chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), despite opposition within the ruling camp. The CIO is the agency tasked with investigating crimes by senior public officials. With the office set to open on October 2, the president apparently concluded that the personnel vetting process could not be delayed any longer.
President Lee named Kim as his nominee on September 8 and ordered roughly three weeks of additional vetting, concluding that Kim is "not a pro-Yoon prosecutor." The presidential office maintains that some of the allegations raised against him are factually inaccurate or amount to mere speculation.
Kang Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication, presented specific grounds for rebutting the allegations against the CIO chief nominee. Kim was promoted to supervisory prosecutor on August 11, 2020, while Choo Mi-ae was justice minister, and took office as head of the criminal affairs bureau at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on June 11, 2021. After confirming that a decision not to indict Choe Eun-seong, the mother-in-law of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, had omitted a key judgment and that the investigation had been insufficient, Kim ordered a reinvestigation on July 1 of that year.
"There will be no moves that run counter to the direction of reform," the senior secretary said, focusing on persuading opponents within the ruling camp. Supporters of the ruling camp who demand a sweeping overhaul of the prosecution are pushing back, arguing that Kim's appointment amounts to abandoning reform.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae expressed a negative view on Facebook on the morning of October 1, writing, "I believe it is my duty, having experienced it firsthand, to warn you of what to watch out for." Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min said he "respects the president's personnel authority" but noted, "If a former prosecutor fills the CIO chief post, there are concerns that the investigation and prosecution functions will effectively merge again through personnel ties with the prosecution service." Cho Kuk Innovation Party lawmaker Park Eun-jung also wrote on Facebook, "The reason we revisit the past is to break the cycle of tragedy," adding, "I oppose the appointment of nominee Kim."
