Kim Ji-yong, nominated as the first head of South Korea's new Major Crimes Investigation Agency, said he would not repeat past prosecution practices such as targeted investigations, fishing expeditions and probes conducted on the presumption of indictment, pledging to base the agency's work on political neutrality.
"I believe that upholding procedural justice is the closest and surest path to substantive truth," Kim said at a confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 14th. "We will investigate based on evidence and legal principles, but if an investigation finds no crime, I will not hesitate to close the case decisively."
In his opening remarks, Kim said the agency, created through the separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers as a product of criminal justice reform, must deliver judicial justice and protect the daily lives of citizens. He laid out a blueprint for conducting fair investigations that put human rights first and preserve political neutrality and independence, without repeating past prosecution practices.
To that end, Kim said he would adhere to four principles: protecting human rights, strengthening capabilities to investigate serious crimes, minimizing gaps in victim protection, and securing political neutrality and independence. He said the principles were aimed at raising public trust in the agency.
"In line with the purpose of separating investigation from prosecution, we will place human rights as the highest value and ensure that no one is wrongly accused during an investigation," Kim said. "I will direct and supervise the agency so that the rights of those involved in cases are not neglected, and do my utmost to ensure that not even one citizen suffers an injustice."
On building investigative capabilities, he said crimes including insurrection, corruption, financial and economic crime, drug and cyber offenses, and technology leaks were becoming increasingly sophisticated. "We will actively recruit talented personnel from the prosecution and the police as well as private-sector experts, and build professional capabilities for investigating serious crimes through systematic training and more advanced forensic investigation," he said.
Addressing concerns that the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation powers could leave gaps in protection for crime victims, Kim said he would minimize such gaps through thorough supplementary investigations. On political neutrality, he said: "I will ensure that the agency is not swayed by outside pressure and investigates fairly, according only to the law and principle."
"I believe the first head of this agency is responsible for getting the new organization off on the right foot," Kim said. "I will do my utmost to firmly establish the new principles of criminal justice reform and to ensure the agency stands on public trust by responding sternly to crimes that threaten the lives, safety and property of citizens."