Kim Ji-yong, the first commissioner of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, said the agency will work to end the politicization of investigations and protect the rights of the public, pledging to prove why the new body is needed.
Kim made the remarks in a brief press availability on the 19th at the agency's headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul. "The agency will firmly uphold fairness, neutrality and procedural justice," Kim said.
Kim outlined three operating priorities for the agency. The first is forming a task force to help the organization settle in quickly. "My first directive last Friday, on the 16th, was to ask Vice Commissioner Jeon Jong-min to take charge of the early-settlement task force," Kim said. "I asked that the physical and human infrastructure be put fully in place so the agency can begin normal operations as soon as possible."
The second priority is ending the politicization of investigations. "I believe the politicization of investigations was at the root of various problems in the past, including the prosecution's abuse of investigative powers," Kim said. "The agency will firmly uphold fairness, neutrality and procedural justice so that it becomes an investigative body the public does not need to worry about." On whether the commissioner will attend Cabinet meetings, Kim said the matter would be decided in consultation with relevant laws and agencies.
The third priority is protecting the rights of the public. "We will make sure there are no gaps in protecting socially vulnerable groups and crime victims, and more broadly the rights of the public," Kim said. "Protecting the rights of the public is the fundamental goal of this agency." Kim added: "Based on these basic principles, we will produce results and performance. We will prove why this agency must exist and why it is needed, in a way the public can feel."