Lee formally appoints inaugural chief of agency in charge of major investigations

President Lee Jae Myung has officially appointed Kim Ji-yong as the inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), an agency under the interior ministry responsible for major investigations. Kim was recommended for the post by Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung on September 7, and the confirmation was approved by a parliamentary committee after a hearing 38 days later.

The National Assembly's public administration and security committee adopted the confirmation hearing report the following day. The report included both positive and negative opinions on Kim's suitability for the position, with opposition from some ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers who argued that his appointment could hinder prosecution reform due to his background as a prosecutor under the previous administration.

The Lee administration had previously ordered additional vetting, and the presidential office later stated that allegations against Kim were unfounded.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.