President Lee appoints Kim Ji-yong... The gap in the head of the Heavy Water Administration was resolved within two weeks of its launch.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Ko Dong-wook = On the 15th, President Lee Jae-myung approved the appointment of candidate Kim Ji-yong as the first head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, Blue House Chief Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jeong announced.

It has been 38 days since Minister of Public Administration and Security Yun Ho-jung recommended candidate Kim on the 7th of last month.

The Central Investigation Agency, one of the key agencies of the Lee Jae-myung administration's 'prosecution reform', was also able to resolve the head vacuum in about two weeks after its launch.

Previously, President Lee planned to request a personnel hearing from the National Assembly immediately after Candidate Kim was nominated, but as opposition emerged from some quarters of the ruling party, he ordered 'additional verification'.

Hardliners voiced opposition to the appointment, saying that prosecutorial reform could go backwards if Candidate Kim, a former 'pro-yoon prosecutor', becomes the head of the Central Investigations Office.

Accordingly, the Blue House announced that after conducting additional verification for over 15 days, it was confirmed that the suspicions against Candidate Kim were not true, and President Lee sent Candidate Lee's personnel hearing request to the National Assembly on the 1st of this month, one day before the launch of the Central Investigation Agency.

The National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee held a personnel hearing for Candidate Kim on the 14th and adopted a personnel hearing progress report one day later.

However, the comprehensive opinion in the personnel hearing progress report on Candidate Kim included both ‘qualified’ and ‘unqualified’ opinions.

During the actual hearing, not only the opposition party but also some members of the Democratic Party of Korea argued for candidate Kim's ineligibility.

The pro-Russian Fatherland Innovation Party confirmed its opposition to the appointment as a party line.