Minister Yoon Ho-jung rebuts claim he knew of nominee Kim Ji-yong's 'informant' past: "I would never have nominated him"

Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung on Monday rebuked Gyeonggi Gov. Choo Mi-ae's claim that Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (the agency tasked with probing major crimes involving prosecutors), had been an "informant," saying, "Had I thought so, I would not have nominated (recommended him for appointment to the president)." The National Assembly audit of the Interior and Safety Committee also raised concerns about the staffing of the office, which launched on Nov. 2 without a chief. When People Power Party Rep. Kwon Young-jin pointed to public anxiety and concern, Minister Yoon said, "We did our best, but I deeply regret the situation."

The office's staffing rate was confirmed at about 66 percent. A specific plan for filling vacancies also emerged. Answering a question from Democratic Party Rep. Kim Young-bae, Minister Yoon said, "About 15 percent will be filled through career-based competitive hiring of police officers, lawyers, accountants and the like," adding, "The remaining 10 percent will be reserved for new hires next year." Special appointments allowing transfers from the Public Prosecution Service remain possible until April next year.

The status of case intake was also disclosed. According to Minister Yoon, no cases have yet been received via transfer from the Public Prosecution Service, while about 280 cases are expected to be transferred from it. Roughly 43 civil complaints have been filed. With the launch of the Public Prosecution Service, ongoing prosecutor-led investigations are in principle transferred to the competent investigative agencies such as the police or the Investigation Office, but in unavoidable cases such as imminent expiration of the statute of limitations, the Prosecution Service may continue the investigation for up to 90 days.

Minister Yoon dismissed local governments' concerns that the newly created Future Response Fund would reduce their shares of local allocation tax. "The local allocation tax rate of 19.24 percent of domestic tax revenues remains entirely unchanged," he said, explaining the fund's rationale: "How to respond to a windfall situation where fiscal resources are expanding required a strategic judgment." Addressing criticism of matching-fund burdens, he said, "We will work to minimize matching burdens on local governments."

The farmland owned by the mother of First Vice Interior Minister Kim Min-jae also came up. When People Power Party Rep. Kang Myung-gu pointed out possible violations of the Farmland Act, noting that the farmland in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, was lying fallow, Vice Minister Kim denied any violation, saying, "I understand vegetables and the like were planted in the spring, but it is now lying fallow." He added that he had requested corrections to related media reports.