SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday formally appointed the inaugural chief of the newly established Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), which is in charge of major investigations under the interior ministry.
Lee approved the appointment after a parliamentary committee adopted a confirmation hearing report for longtime prosecutor Kim Ji-yong, 38 days after Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung recommended him for the post Sept. 7.
Kim Ji-yong, the nominee for the chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, takes an oath during his parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on Oct. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)
Earlier in the day, the National Assembly's public administration and security committee adopted the confirmation hearing report, a day after holding Kim's confirmation hearing. The report included both favorable and unfavorable opinions on Kim's suitability for the post.
Kim's nomination had drawn opposition from some lawmakers, including members of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), who argued that his appointment could set back prosecution reform, citing his background as a prosecutor under the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
The Lee administration had ordered additional vetting, and the presidential office later said the allegations against him had been found to be untrue.
The SCIA was launched 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 politically motivated probes.
Kim has pledged to end the "politicization" of investigations and ensure the new agency safeguards political neutrality and the independence of investigations.
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