Kim Hong-il, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, "The Commission Must Escape Political Bias Controversy"

Kim Hong-il, the newly appointed Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), emphasized that the commission must overcome controversies over political bias and restore fairness and neutrality.

Kim Hong-il, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, is delivering his inaugural speech at the inauguration ceremony held at the Government Sejong Complex in Sejong City on the afternoon of the 3rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 3rd, Chairperson Kim stated at the inauguration ceremony held in the main auditorium of Building 12 at the Government Complex Sejong in the afternoon, "It has been about a year since the Yoon Seok-yeol administration took office. I believe there have been considerable obstacles and difficulties in carrying out our duties due to unnecessary noise and issues both inside and outside the commission," adding, "There have been controversies regarding political bias."

Chairperson Kim prioritized "restoring public trust," saying, "We must overcome the controversies over political bias and restore fairness and neutrality." Along with this commitment, he made several requests, emphasizing ▲restoration of public trust ▲relief of civil rights grievances ▲establishment of fairness and common sense ▲strengthening communication with the public.

He stated, "We must have a sense of mission as servants to all citizens, beyond the interests or ideologies of specific political factions, regions, or social classes," and added, "National tasks should be handled fairly without bias, and the commission must be free from political controversies." He further said, "Any factors that undermine fairness and neutrality in handling duties must be corrected to ensure that the ACRC is no longer at the center of political bias controversies."

Secondly, he stressed "relief of civil rights grievances," stating, "When handling complaints, we must approach them with an attitude of understanding and embracing the inconveniences and pains of the complainants or petitioners, not just as officials." Thirdly, he emphasized "establishing fairness and common sense." He said, "Our commission, which oversees anti-corruption policies, must eradicate habitual corruption, moral decay, and waste of public funds in our society," and added, "We must especially take the lead in upholding the rule of law, fairness, and common sense."

Lastly, he highlighted "strengthening communication with the public," announcing plans to utilize various platforms such as the National Sinmungo and National Thinking Box. Quoting President Yoon Seok-yeol's statement that "the government should play a role in specifically addressing the public's pain points," Chairperson Kim said, "The answers to the public's pain points lie in civil complaints. We must accurately understand the public's inconveniences and demands for policy improvements and engage in two-way communication with the public beyond the constraints of time and space."

Chairperson Kim previously served as the Chief Prosecutor of Busan High Prosecutors' Office and resigned in 2013 after 28 years as a prosecutor, subsequently working as a lawyer.

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