SCIA chief candidate vows to avoid selective investigations — Korea Herald

In South Korea, Kim Ji-young, the candidate for head of the newly established Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), said he would avoid selective investigations so that no one would be groundlessly accused of crimes. He said this during a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Korea Herald reports.

According to Kim, he is aware of public concerns about investigations that may be politically motivated and directed against specific individuals. He said that if the results of an investigation do not indicate that a crime was committed, the case will be closed without hesitation. Kim also stressed that procedural fairness is key to establishing the truth in criminal proceedings.

Powers of the new agency

SCIA was established as part of a prosecution reform aimed at reducing the powers of prosecutorial bodies. The agency, separated from the national prosecution service, will investigate serious crimes, including economic offenses, drug-related crimes, technology theft, insurrection and treason.

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At the same time, SCIA will not have the authority to independently bring defendants before a criminal court. In contrast, the prosecution service had the authority both to investigate cases and to file charges. The agency will be subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior, along with the National Police Agency, rather than the Ministry of Justice.

Criticism of the nomination

During the hearing, liberal lawmakers criticized Kim over his past involvement in what they consider politically motivated criminal prosecutions, as well as for not publicly protesting against certain prosecution decisions. Kim rejected Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yoon Kun-young's assertion that he knew about unfairness within the prosecution service but did nothing.

Kim's appointment, proposed by President Lee Jae-myung in early September, also sparked controversy within the ruling liberal bloc. Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae and lawmaker Kim Yong-min publicly opposed his nomination. Im Eun-jung, head of the SCIA regional office in Gwangju, also said that Kim was not suitable for the position.