President Moon: "It Is Important for the First Corruption Investigation Office to Gain Public Trust" (Comprehensive)

President Moon presents appointment letter to Kim Jin-wook, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials: "Respect for accepting this burdensome position without avoidance"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in said during a conversation after the appointment ceremony of Kim Jin-wook, the head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (Gong-su-cheo), on the 21st, "Since this is the first launch of the Gong-su-cheo, it is important to steadily gain the trust of the people."

Kang Min-seok, the Blue House spokesperson, stated at a briefing at the Chuncheon Press Center on the 21st, "President Moon Jae-in expressed his respect during the conversation with Kim Jin-wook, the head of Gong-su-cheo, saying, 'I pay tribute to you for actively accepting this very burdensome position, which has attracted much attention from many people during this serious time, without avoiding it.'"

President Moon urged, "As a guardian of transparency and integrity in the high-ranking public official society, please take pride and a sense of mission as a driving force leading our society to be more fair and free of corruption." He added, "If you set a precedent for lawful procedures and human rights-friendly investigations, I think you can gain the trust of the people."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon said, "I believe the most important virtues are neutrality and independence," emphasizing, "Neutrality from politics and independence from existing investigative agencies are important." He also said, "Cooperation with the prosecution and police to enhance investigative capabilities is also very important," adding, "There are really high expectations for the Gong-su-cheo."

Meanwhile, Kim Jin-wook, the head of Gong-su-cheo, introduced an anecdote from his time as a judge.

Regarding this, Spokesperson Kang explained, "In 1996, the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice proposed an anti-corruption bill, which is said to be the origin of the Gong-su-cheo's history. Later, during the Kim Young-sam administration, an incident occurred where the family of the Minister of Health and Welfare received cash from the president of the Opticians Association at their home."

Kang said, "Kim was the presiding judge of the appellate court in the second trial. The first trial court had released the defendant (the president of the Opticians Association) on bail, but Kim canceled the bail and ordered detention in court. This means that Kim handled the case that became a catalyst for discussions on establishing the Gong-su-cheo."

Introducing this case, Kim said, "I think that connection became a historical force that brought me to this place today," adding, "If the Gong-su-cheo lays the foundation to become an advanced investigative agency and a human rights-friendly investigative agency and gains the trust of the people, the current wrongful investigative practices of the prosecution will also change."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.