Financial Victims' Coalition announces statement opposing the appointment of lawyer Kim Kwan-jung as head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Office

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Eui-jin = The Financial Victims' Solidarity, a coalition of financial fraud victims, issued a statement on the 5th opposing the appointment of Attorney Kim Kwan-jeong, who was recommended as the first candidate for the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Office, to the appointment of the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Office, taking issue with his history of defending virtual currency fraud cases.

The Financial Victims' Coalition said in a statement that day, "Attorney Kwan-jeong Kim is defending the defendants in the 'KOK case', a multi-level coin fraud," and "Victims of financial fraud will vehemently oppose Attorney Kim's appointment as the first head of the Central Investigation Agency."

According to this organization, the so-called KOK incident is a criminal case that created hundreds of thousands of victims through the promotion of a digital platform business where various contents such as movies, games, and webtoons are consumed through 'KOK Coin.'

KOK Foundation executives, who were identified as the main culprits, were indicted in late 2024 on charges of stealing a total of trillions of won from hundreds of thousands of investors after setting up a business without the means to properly generate profits.

Although nearly two years have passed since the indictment, the trial of those involved is still ongoing in the Ulsan District Court.

The Financial Victims' Coalition argued that Attorney Kim is still identified as the main defendant's attorney in the court's computer system, and that the possibility that his attorney's fees were covered by criminal proceeds should be considered.

Attorney Kim is the 26th member of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and a former chief prosecutor. He served as a crime intelligence officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, head of the special department at the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office, and chief of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office.

The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency Director Candidate Recommendation Committee decided the day before to select attorneys Kim Kwan-jung, Kim Ji-yong, Moon Hong-ju, and Myongji University law professor Lee Yun-je and recommend them to the Minister of Public Administration and Security.