Parliamentary committee adopts confirmation hearing report for investigation body chief nominee
Kim Ji-yong, the nominee for the chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, speaks during his parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
A parliamentary committee on Thursday adopted a confirmation hearing report for Kim Ji-yong, nominee to lead the newly established Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), amid opposition from some lawmakers.
The parliamentary public administration and security committee approved the report, a day after his confirmation hearing.
Kim's nomination has drawn opposition from some hard-line lawmakers within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, who have questioned his political neutrality and qualifications to lead the SCIA.
They have argued the nominee had previously opposed prosecution reform and had close ties to former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Earlier in the day, the Rebuilding Korea Party adopted the decision to oppose Kim's appointment as its official party line, warning that his appointment could undermine prosecution reform.
In an interview with local radio station CBS, presidential secretary for public relations Seong Ghi-hong said Kim had sufficiently addressed the concerns during his confirmation hearing.
The SCIA was launched on Oct. 2 as part of a major overhaul of the criminal justice system that strips prosecutors of their power to conduct direct investigations amid criticism that they had pursued political probes.
Kim earlier pledged to put an end to the "politicization" of investigations and ensure the new agency protects political neutrality and the independence of probes, saying the prosecution in the past had conducted politically motivated investigations.