Jinwook Kim Expresses Displeasure Over 'Special Favor Hiring of Secretary' Allegations... "A Life Lived on Special Favors Seems to See Everything as Special Favors"

Kim Jin-wook, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency, on his way to work at the Government Gwacheon Complex.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Kim Jin-wook, head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo), expressed displeasure on the 15th regarding allegations of 'preferential hiring of secretaries,' saying, "A life lived with special favors seems to see everything as a special favor."

Kim responded this way when asked about the 'secretary preferential treatment allegations' as he arrived at the Government Complex Gwacheon that morning.

According to media reports that day, it was revealed that Kim's secretary (Grade 5), Mr. Kim, who drove Kim's official car during the 'emperor escort' for Lee Seong-yoon, Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office chief on the 7th of last month, was specially hired based on a recommendation from Lee Chan-hee, former president of the Korean Bar Association.

Mr. Kim, who passed the bar exam in April last year and was specially hired as the secretary to the Gong-su-cheo chief in January this year, is a junior alumnus of former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae from Hanyang University Law School. Additionally, Mr. Kim's father is also a junior alumnus of former Minister Choo from Hanyang University Law School and a classmate from the 14th Judicial Research and Training Institute. He also applied for nomination to the Democratic Party in the June 13 local elections in 2018, when former Minister Choo exercised her nomination rights, raising suspicions of preferential hiring.

Former Korean Bar Association president Lee is known to have recommended Kim, who was a senior researcher at the Constitutional Court, as the inaugural Gong-su-cheo chief and was involved in appointing Deputy Chief Yeo Woon-guk.

The Gong-su-cheo actively refuted these 'preferential hiring' allegations in a statement titled 'Explanation on Secretary Selection,' distributed that morning.

First, the Gong-su-cheo stated, "The secretary to the Gong-su-cheo chief is a special appointment position responsible for assisting the chief and managing schedules. Special appointment secretaries generally do not undergo open competitive recruitment," adding, "As a result, in the past, it was common to hire people with personal or school connections, such as relatives or juniors, as secretaries."

They continued, "Therefore, the Gong-su-cheo has made it a principle not to engage in such connection-based hiring for the chief's secretary and hired someone with no ties to the chief," explaining the matter.

Furthermore, the Gong-su-cheo revealed that after Kim was nominated as Gong-su-cheo chief by President Moon Jae-in, the personnel hearing process proceeded rapidly, and going through an open recruitment process would have taken too much time, which was the background for the special hiring.

The Gong-su-cheo stated, "The Gong-su-cheo chief was nominated by the president on December 30 last year, underwent a personnel hearing on January 19 this year, and received the appointment letter on January 21, with the appointment process proceeding swiftly," adding, "The secretary's hiring issue arose just days before the personnel hearing, and since the chief's appointment date was uncertain at the time, the secretary had to be a lawyer who could immediately assume the position accordingly."

They added, "For reference, the Gong-su-cheo chief's public service secretary (female) underwent an open recruitment process that took about two months and assumed office on April 1."

Lastly, the Gong-su-cheo reiterated denial of preferential hiring allegations, stating, "The secretary was recommended by the Korean Bar Association, which often receives and makes recommendations for public office appointments such as secretaries and aides to members of the National Assembly, among lawyers."

Meanwhile, the Gong-su-cheo also denied the claim that former Korean Bar Association president Lee recommended Deputy Chief Yeo Woon-guk.

The Gong-su-cheo emphasized, "The claim that Deputy Chief Yeo was appointed based on a recommendation from the Korean Bar Association is also a false report," adding, "The chief's recommendation for the deputy chief was made on January 28, and considering that Deputy Chief Yeo was recommended as a Supreme Court justice candidate by the Korean Bar Association on January 25 but resigned a few days later, it is clear that the claim is untrue."

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