Kim Jin-wook "Apologizes for shortcomings not meeting public expectations"... Expresses regret over controversy on 'political neutrality and independence'

"Reflect on Whether the Scope of Communication Inquiry Was Excessive"
"Please Work with the Attitude of Hoshiuhaeng, Proceeding Slowly but Surely"

Kim Jin-wook, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, legal affairs specialist] Kim Jin-wook, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo), acknowledged and apologized on the 21st for controversies surrounding the office’s "political neutrality" and "indiscriminate communication data inquiries," stating that these issues "did not meet the public’s expectations and were insufficient."

Kim made these remarks at 2 p.m. during the first anniversary ceremony held in the Gong-su-cheo main conference room at the Gwacheon Government Complex.

The event was strictly private, attended only by 28 people including Kim Jin-wook, Deputy Director Yeo Woon-guk, 18 Gong-su-cheo prosecutors, directors, and nine department heads.

Gong-su-cheo stated, "Considering the COVID-19 situation, attendance was limited to vaccinated individuals, and quarantine rules were strictly followed while minimizing participants," which is interpreted as a measure taken in light of recent controversies surrounding the office.

In his anniversary speech, Kim said, "One year ago today, I was inaugurated as the first Chief of Gong-su-cheo at this very place and made several promises to the public," listing commitments made in his inaugural address such as reflective exercise of authority, maintaining political neutrality and independence, adherence to due process and human rights-friendly investigations, cooperation and checks with other investigative agencies, and creating a new organizational culture unique to Gong-su-cheo.

He added, "Upon reflecting on whether these promises have been properly fulfilled on this first anniversary, I sincerely apologize for the shortcomings and for not meeting the public’s expectations."

He continued, "Recalling the public’s strong desire for eradicating corruption in public service and for checks on power institutions, I will return to the original mindset and approach my duties with a renewed spirit. As the head of Gong-su-cheo, I consider the promises made to the public and the responsibilities that come with them as infinite responsibilities, and I will uphold them no matter the difficulties or the time it takes."

On the morning of the same day, upon arriving at the Gong-su-cheo office in Gwacheon, Kim told reporters, "We will reorganize the organization and system to align with the public’s expectations."

He said, "Last year, there were several controversies regarding political neutrality and independence during Gong-su-cheo’s investigations. Gong-su-cheo adopted a system of selecting cases for investigation with a focus on human rights-friendly investigations, but in some cases, controversies arose from the moment Gong-su-cheo directly initiated investigations, which I regret."

He added, "To dispel suspicions that we selectively initiate investigations with political intentions, we concluded that it is necessary to change the system that allows the Chief to select cases for investigation. We will revise Gong-su-cheo’s case handling regulations so that the Chief does not get involved in case initiation, thereby preventing controversies over neutrality related to case initiation."

Kim also addressed the recent controversy over "communication data inquiries."

He said, "We promised to conduct investigations that comply with due process and are human rights-friendly, but some investigations became embroiled in procedural disputes and human rights infringement controversies. Especially regarding recent requests for communication data provision, we are well aware of the public’s concerns about personal information protection. Reflecting on whether we rushed to achieve results, and whether the scope of inquiries was excessive despite complying with the relevant laws, we will be more cautious to prevent human rights infringement controversies in future investigations."

He further stated, "We will establish a cooperative and balanced relationship with other investigative agencies such as the prosecution, cooperating where necessary and checking where needed, while creating a new organizational culture and investigative system. We will also reflect on whether the relationship with other agencies has overly emphasized mutual checks and conflicts, and strive to develop a cooperative and symbiotic relationship."

Kim expressed his feelings about the various limitations Gong-su-cheo faced in its first year.

He said, "Although Gong-su-cheo was established as a national agency to address the historic task of eradicating corruption in public service and checking power institutions over the past 25 years, it was formed as a mini-organization with 25 prosecutors, 40 investigators, and 20 general staff due to legislative processes. There were human resource limitations due to insufficient support from experienced prosecutors, physical limitations as it was located in a corner of the government complex office space, and normative limitations such as the three-year term for prosecutors, six-year term for investigators, and unclear mutual authority and responsibilities with other investigative agencies like the prosecution. Last year, Gong-su-cheo conducted several investigations under these unfavorable conditions and showed somewhat immature aspects to the public, receiving much criticism," he recalled.

He continued, "However, the members of Gong-su-cheo, including myself, should not blame only the unfavorable conditions. Even if conditions are unfavorable, we must always remember why we are here and do our best to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to Gong-su-cheo by the public."

Kim said, "As the representative of Gong-su-cheo, the Chief is responsible not only for investigation and prosecution but also for all external acts as an independent administrative agency, including cooperation with the National Assembly and the media. I am willing to take full responsibility for all these duties."

He added, "I believe that the Chief, who holds the status of a Gong-su-cheo prosecutor and is also the head of the agency, has an especially important role as a control institution over investigations. This is because the public demands not only legality but also appropriateness in investigations, as seen in the recent communication data inquiry controversy."

Finally, he concluded his commemorative speech by saying, "I would like to thank all Gong-su-cheo family members who have worked hard under difficult conditions and once again ask you to work with the attitude of 'Hosi-uhaeng'?hastening slowly rather than rushing in 2022."

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