President to request confirmation hearing for embattled nominee for chief of investigation bureau

Published Oct 1, 2026 3:21 pm KST

Updated Oct 1, 2026 3:41 pm KST

Kim Ji-yong, nominee for the inaugural head of the planned Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, speaks to reporters at an annex building of the government complex in central Seoul, Sept. 14. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung will soon ask the National Assembly to hold a confirmation hearing for his nominee for the inaugural chief of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA), a presidential official said Thursday.

Cheong Wa Dae will soon submit a request to the National Assembly for a parliamentary confirmation hearing for Kim Ji-yong, who has been nominated to head the new agency, presidential secretary for public relations Seong Ghi-hong said.

The decision was announced a day before the SCIA is set to launch, along with the Public Prosecution Service, as part of the Lee administration's prosecution reform aimed at stripping the prosecution of investigative rights, tasking them with only indicting and maintaining indictments against suspects.

The president nominated Kim early last month at the recommendation of the interior minister, but suspicions have since been raised within the ruling Democratic Party that Kim had once opposed prosecution reform.

Seong said that since the nomination, the presidential office has carried out an additional verification process, adding that its results showed the nomination should remain in place.

发布于2026年10月1日下午3:21（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月1日下午3:41（韩国标准时间）

9月14日，拟任重案调查厅首任厅长的候选人金智龙在首尔市中心政府大楼附属建筑内接受记者采访。（韩联社）

一位总统府官员周四表示，李在明总统将很快要求国会对其提名的首任重案调查厅（SCIA）厅长人选举行确认听证会。

总统府公共关系秘书成基洪表示，青瓦台将很快向国会提交申请，要求对金智勇进行国会确认听证，金智勇已被提名为新机构的负责人。

该决定是在特别刑事调查局（SCIA）即将启动的前一天宣布的，同时启动的还有公共检察署。这是李光耀政府检察改革的一部分，旨在剥夺检察机关的调查权，使其只能对嫌疑人提起公诉和维持起诉。

总统上个月初根据内政部长的建议提名金正恩，但此后执政的民主党内部有人怀疑金正恩曾反对检察改革。

成表示，自提名以来，总统府已进行了额外的核查程序，并补充说，核查结果表明该提名应该继续有效。