(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Won-jeong = There are many tasks ahead of Kim Ji-yong, the first head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (Serious Investigations Agency), who was appointed on the 15th, including completing manpower and facilities and securing investigative capabilities for the agency to settle down quickly.
Commissioner Kim took on the important task of dispelling concerns and worries as the first head while the Central Investigation Agency remained in a 'closed business' state for the 14th day since its inauguration.
Even though some in the ruling party have labeled him as a 'prosecutor,' the organization must be quickly stabilized as the biggest justification for appointing Commissioner Kim was to reduce initial confusion by bringing in investigative experts.
Accordingly, Commissioner Kim Ji-yong appears to be rushing to immediately begin follow-up appointments and reassign personnel.
In the case of the Central Investigation Agency headquarters, 7 of the 8 director-level positions, excluding the inspector general, have been filled, but 16 of the 24 manager-level positions that direct practical work are vacant.
Because personnel appointments were made at short notice just before the launch of the Central Investigation Agency, many of the investigators were assigned to departments unrelated to their experience or specialties, and while regional offices attempted to make their own adjustments, they were stopped by the headquarters.
It is pointed out that there is an urgent need for 'traffic control' to increase investigative efficiency, such as Commissioner Kim delegating the authority to appoint investigators to local offices and reexamining desired positions.
Securing investigative personnel is also an immediate task.
The Central Investigation Agency went through a special appointment process for prosecutors' personnel twice, but began work with 1,900 people, or 66.1% of the total number of 2,874 people.
There is talk that investigators who were in charge of investigating suspicions of Daejeon-dong development corruption or collecting criminal information at the prosecution in the past were rejected from being appointed to the Central Investigation Agency, and the backstory continues.
The Central Investigation Agency's position is that it reviewed various aspects, including investigative capabilities and history of misconduct, and selected those who were disqualified for special appointments.
The Central Investigation Agency plans to supplement the shortage of manpower through career competitive recruitment and special appointments, but there are strong voices within the ruling party calling for the recruitment to be filled with non-prosecution backgrounds, such as police officers, lawyers, and accountants.
Other tasks that Commissioner Kim Ji-yong must solve are to clearly establish procedures for transferring cases to the police and the Public Prosecution Office, and standards for warrants and supplementary investigations, and to create a device to prevent 'duster investigations'.
At the personnel hearing on the 14th, Commissioner Kim announced that he would introduce a 'responsible investigation system' and establish a reward and punishment system, saying, "It should never end with the investigator sending the case, and he must be responsible for the indictment and whether or not he is found guilty."
Of great interest is which case the Central Investigation Agency, which has completed organizational reorganization and case transfer, will select as the target of the 'No. 1 investigation' on which it will focus its capabilities.
The analysis is that the Central Investigation Agency, which was launched as a key investigative agency to virtually replace the prosecution, is highly likely to select cases that can prove the charges by launching an independent investigation without causing any noise.
Considering that half of the six countries under the Seoul Regional Central Investigation Agency are departments related to economic crimes, so-called 'people's livelihood crimes' such as stock price manipulation and large-scale collusion are likely to be the first targets.
However, the formation of the 'Insurrection Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Unit)' related to the December 3 emergency martial law, which President Lee Jae-myung is known to be considering, is considered a variable.
Commissioner Kim also mentioned “eradicating rebellion and crimes” several times during his time as a candidate. It was also interpreted as an intention to directly break through the anti-Too public opinion of the hard-liners on prosecution reform within the ruling party known as 'Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol'.
In fact, if a special investigation unit is established at the Central Investigation Agency, the criticism that it has become a 'low-ranking investigation' agency that investigates cases that have already been investigated twice by special prosecutors is bound to be a burden.
It is pointed out that Commissioner Kim's leadership, which emphasized political neutrality and independence of investigation, will inevitably be hurt.
The opposition party argues that suspicions of misconduct by independent lawmaker Kim Byeong-gi, Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo's suspicion of receiving funds from the Unification Church, and former Justice Minister candidate Kim Seung-won's suspicion of soliciting new drugs should be the primary targets of the Central Investigation Agency's investigation.
The inspection of Lim Eun-jeong, head of the Gwangju Regional Heavy Water and Water Administration, who publicly opposed his appointment, is also expected to become a major issue after Commissioner Kim takes office.
Previously, on Facebook on the 5th, Commissioner Lim claimed that Commissioner Kim had ignored civil complaints asking him to inspect suspicions of sexual violence misconduct by prosecutors when he was head of the 1st Inspection Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and that "the person who should be appointed as a teacher should not be number one."
Following the instructions of Minister of Public Administration and Security Yun Ho-jung, the Central Investigation Agency headquarters began an inspection of Commissioner Lim on the 12th and is examining whether public officials have violated their obligations to maintain political neutrality and dignity.
Commissioner Kim must appoint the currently vacant Inspector General of the Central Investigation Agency and establish regulations related to internal inspection.
In a written response to the National Assembly's personnel hearing, Commissioner Kim said, "Criticizing the personnel of an investigative executive publicly is an inappropriate act that undermines the discipline of the organization," but added, "If I am appointed as the head of the Central Investigation Agency, I will join forces with Commissioner Lim and do my best to make the Central Investigation Agency successful."
