Inaugural Suwon major crimes investigation chief begins duties
Version 3: New reporting adds the chief’s staffing figures and personnel plans, including that 60 percent of authorized positions were filled and placement would be completed that day, confirmation that vacant posts are covered under an acting-duty arrangement, and a second-day remark that investigative and prosecution bodies should check each other while working together for the public.
In short
Kim Hyeong-geun began official duties on 6 October as the first chief of the new Suwon District Central Investigation Office for Major Crimes, saying the office would overcome the limits of existing investigative agencies while inheriting their experience. He said separating investigation from prosecution can address the harms of prosecutors’ direct investigations, pledged political neutrality, and said no first case has been chosen. He also said 60 percent of the office’s authorized staff were in place and that he regretted a past drunk driving disciplinary case.
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Kim Hyeong-geun began official duties on 6 October as the inaugural chief of the Suwon District Central Investigation Office for Major Crimes, arriving at about 8:50 a.m. at the temporary office in the first-floor lobby of the Gyeonggi Credit Guarantee Foundation building in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, where he spoke to reporters, Yonhap reported. He said the office would “overcome the limits of existing investigative agencies” while inheriting their capabilities and experience and establish itself as a top specialized investigative body. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
He said shortcomings are certain in the early period but pledged to make up for them so that citizens face no inconvenience and no gap arises in corruption investigations. He said that in major crime investigations there are clear harms from prosecutors’ direct investigations, and that separating investigation and prosecution would allow those problems to be overcome. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Asked about concerns that he is pro-government because of his background as a special prosecutor aide, Kim said he had treated political neutrality as the most important virtue during more than 20 years of investigations at the prosecution and would continue to do so. Asked whether appointing a chief from the prosecution fits the office’s founding purpose of dispersing prosecutorial power, he called it unavoidable at launch, saying staff from existing investigative agencies have accumulated capabilities and experience needed to keep functions running. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
On staffing, Kim said vacant posts still existed and that he aimed to complete personnel placement that day so that work could proceed normally from the next day, according to Seoul Economic Daily, which reported him saying 60 percent of authorized positions were filled and that the gaps were being covered under an acting-duty arrangement. He said the office had already been given a drug crime response function and that the drug joint investigation division received a substantial number of staff transferred from the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office drug joint investigation headquarters; numbers may have fallen somewhat, he said, but he had been told investigations would not be disrupted. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
On the office’s first case, Kim said nothing has been decided and that it would choose carefully after reviewing the legal scope of investigations, how cases are progressing and the allegations involved. He said he felt regret about a past disciplinary case: while serving as a Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office prosecutor he was caught drunk driving in December 2022 in Seocho-gu, Seoul at a level that brought a license suspension and received a reprimand, a fact that became known recently. Seoul Economic Daily quoted him saying the circumstances aside, he was ashamed of it. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
His career includes special division chief at the Busan and Incheon district prosecutors’ offices, head of the investigation command section at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, chief of anti-corruption division 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, deputy chief of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office and chief of the Bucheon branch, as well as a role as special prosecutor aide in the Kim Keon-hee special prosecution team led by special prosecutor Min Jung-ki, Yonhap and Maeil Business reported. [ 1 , 3 ]
The following day, Chosun Ilbo reported Kim saying that investigative agencies and prosecution agencies should check each other while working together for the public. Seoul Economic Daily also reported that he received his appointment on a Friday afternoon after applying before the holiday, with the recruitment process taking place about a week before the appointment. [ 4 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The Suwon office is a local arm of a structure that separates investigation from prosecution, the stated purpose of which is to divide prosecutorial power. How it staffs, and which case it takes first, will shape corruption and major-crime investigations in the Suwon region. The chief’s remarks on political neutrality, and his second-day comment that investigative and prosecution bodies must check each other, signal that the office’s independence will be a central question as it starts work.
Key facts
- Kim Hyeong-geun said he began official duties on 6 October as the inaugural chief of the Suwon District Central Investigation Office for Major Crimes. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He arrived at about 8:50 a.m. at the temporary office in the first-floor lobby of the Gyeonggi Credit Guarantee Foundation building in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, and spoke to reporters. [ 1 , 4 ]
- He said the office would overcome the limits of existing investigative agencies while inheriting their capabilities and experience, and become a top specialized investigative body. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said separating investigation and prosecution would overcome the harms of prosecutors’ direct investigations into major crimes. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said no first case has been decided and that the office would choose one carefully after reviewing legal scope, case progress and the allegations. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said 60 percent of the office’s authorized positions were filled, that vacant posts were being covered under an acting-duty arrangement, and that personnel placement would be completed that day so normal work could begin the next day. [ 4 ]
- He said the drug joint investigation division received a substantial number of staff transferred from the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office drug joint investigation headquarters, and that investigations should not be disrupted. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said he regretted a drunk driving case in December 2022 in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at license-suspension level while serving as a Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office prosecutor, for which he received a reprimand. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Kim Hyeong-geun took up the post of inaugural chief of the Suwon District Central Investigation Office for Major Crimes on 6 October and said the office would overcome the problems of existing investigative agencies and work to be trusted. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said shortcomings are certain in the early period but pledged to compensate so that citizens face no inconvenience and no gap arises in corruption investigations. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said separating investigation and prosecution could overcome the harms of prosecutors’ direct investigations into major crimes. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said he treated political neutrality as the most important virtue during more than 20 years of prosecution investigations and would not change that. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said no first case has been decided and the office would choose one carefully after reviewing legal scope, progress and allegations. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said the drug joint investigation division received a substantial number of staff transferred from the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office drug joint investigation headquarters. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- He said he regretted the December 2022 drunk driving case in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at license-suspension level, for which he received a reprimand. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Which case the Suwon office will take as its first. Kim said no case has been decided and that the office would review legal scope, case progress and allegations before choosing; no outlet names a candidate case.
- The exact staffing level of the office and of the new drug joint investigation division. Kim said a substantial number of staff were transferred and that numbers may have fallen somewhat, while one outlet reported him saying 60 percent of authorized positions were filled; no outlet gives absolute figures.
- Whether concerns about the chief’s political neutrality are settled. He answered a reporter’s question on the point; the documents contain no other assessment.
- Further details of the office’s launch and operations beyond the chief’s remarks. Two outlets published only headlines or feed summaries, and one business outlet’s published article text dealt with an unrelated judiciary matter, so its contribution is limited to its headline.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kim Hyeong-geun arrives at the temporary office of the Suwon District Central Investigation Office for Major Crimes in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, and speaks to reporters. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report on the chief’s first day. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes its report carrying the chief’s remarks in its headline. [ 2 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its full report on the chief’s first day. [ 3 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily publishes its report including the chief’s staffing figures and personnel plans. [ 4 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes a headline reporting the chief’s pledge to establish the office as a top specialized investigative body. [ 5 ]
- On 7 October, Chosun Ilbo reports the chief saying investigative and prosecution agencies should check each other while working together for the public. [ 6 ]