Kim Jin-wook, Head of the Corruption Investigation Office, to Attend National Assembly Judiciary Committee Today... Expected Clash over Yoon Seok-yeol Investigation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Kim Jin-wook, head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo), will appear before the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the morning of the 18th.

At this meeting, Director Kim is expected to be questioned by committee members regarding the partial amendment bill of the Gong-su-cheo Act, which was proposed by opposition party lawmakers.

He is also likely to face questions about current issues, including the commencement of the investigation into former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and the conflict over conditional referrals with the prosecution.

At a press briefing held the previous day at the Gong-su-cheo office in Gwacheon, Director Kim emphasized regarding the investigation into the accusation against former Prosecutor General Yoon, "The investigation has not yet officially started," and added, "We will ensure that there is no impact on the election."

Regarding the background of the investigation into former Prosecutor General Yoon, he stressed that the case was registered in accordance with the Gong-su-cheo case handling regulations and that there was no special intention involved.

In response to concerns that even registration could cause political damage or human rights violations, he added, "While the prosecution immediately registers and treats the complainant as a suspect upon receiving a complaint or accusation, Gong-su-cheo has established a system to avoid such issues by conducting case investigation and analysis first."

Addressing the criticism that the investigation itself could influence the presidential election, he said, "It is difficult and undesirable to avoid all politically controversial cases under the pretext of maintaining political neutrality and to investigate only other cases," adding, "We have no intention to influence the election, and as an investigative agency, we will act responsibly to prevent any controversy."

When asked whether the investigation would be completed before the presidential election, he replied, "Yes," and stated, "The selection of cases is based on legal judgment and case handling procedures, not political considerations or political schedules."

Meanwhile, previously, Rep. Jeon Ju-hye of the People Power Party proposed an amendment requiring the president to appoint Gong-su-cheo prosecutors based on the director's recommendation rather than the Personnel Committee's recommendation, and Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the People Power Party proposed an amendment stipulating that the director must recommend only one candidate when nominating the deputy director.

Both amendments aim to strengthen the neutrality and independence of Gong-su-cheo.

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