President Lee faces liberal dissent over nominee for new crime-investigation agency
President Lee Jae Myung's choice of former prosecutor Kim Ji-yong to head the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency has sparked opposition from members of his own Democratic Party and allied liberal lawmakers.
The president announced former prosecutor Kim Ji-yong as the inaugural head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, a new institution formed under prosecutorial reform to investigate major crimes separately from the Public Prosecution Service. Liberal hardliners, including Democratic Party members Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae and Rep. Kim Yong-min, as well as Rebuilding Korea Party Rep. Park Eun-jung, contend that Kim’s record of defending prosecutorial power and his ties to ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol render him unfit.
Lee countered that Kim’s experience qualifies him to build the agency and said a review found no issues. Critics also accused Kim of ignoring sexual-assault allegations when he was a prosecutor, prompting the interior minister to order an inspection of Gwangju branch chief Lim Eun-jung for possible political activity. The clash highlights lingering divisions within the liberal bloc over the direction and leadership of the reform.
Why it matters
The fight over the agency chief reveals deep splits in South Korea's liberal coalition, threatening the rollout of a key justice reform.
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