Gwangju crimes bureau chief Lim Eun-jung renews criticism of nominee Kim Ji-yong
Version 2: Later coverage added Lim Eun-jung’s demands that Kim Ji-yong publicly answer questions about the Channel A and Kim Hak-ui cases and about his responsibility as a prosecution executive, Asia Economy’s and Hankook Ilbo’s reports on the dispute, and Hankook Ilbo’s explainer setting out the claims about his record alongside the rebuttals.
In short
Lim Eun-jung, head of the Gwangju Regional Major Crimes Investigation Bureau, again publicly criticised Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the newly opened Major Crimes Investigation Bureau, in a Facebook post on Oct 5, saying the bureau’s first head should be its first investigator and not someone who should serve as a cautionary example. She repeated her claim that her 2018 complaint about the handling of a sexual-assault allegation against former prosecutor Jin Dong-gyun was ignored while Kim headed a division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. NoCut News reported that criticism of Kim also persists inside the Democratic Party, and Hankook Ilbo set out the disputed claims about his record alongside rebuttals.
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Lim Eun-jung, head of the Gwangju Regional Major Crimes Investigation Bureau, renewed her public criticism of Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the new Major Crimes Investigation Bureau, in a Facebook post on Oct 5. She wrote that the first head of the bureau is its first investigator, and that someone who should serve as a cautionary example must not be the first. A later Newsis report said she asked whether he had the qualifications to be that first investigator, and Asia Economy reported she said the first head should be someone who shows the values the agency pursues. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Lim said she had never once heard Kim raise objections when the prosecution does things it should not do, or fails to do what it should do. She claimed that in 2018, when Kim headed inspection division 1 at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, her complaint seeking an investigation of officials accused of covering up former prosecutor Jin Dong-gyun’s sexual assault was ignored. She said she had publicly asked to be called as a witness or reference person at his confirmation hearing and had filed an information disclosure request, and would likely bring the decision document with her. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
In a later report, NoCut News said Lim also demanded that Kim publicly state his position, and what he did to press it, in the Channel A journalism-prosecution collusion case and the travel ban on former justice minister Kim Hak-ui, and explain his responsibility as a prosecution executive in the process by which the prosecution lost public trust and was abolished. [ 6 ]
NoCut News reported that President Lee approved the confirmation hearing request on Oct 2 and that the hearing will be held soon, adding that criticism of Kim also continues inside the Democratic Party. Hankook Ilbo reported the bureau opened on Oct 2 and that Kim gave a statement that day at the government complex annex in Changseong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. [ 5 , 9 ]
Chosun Ilbo reported Lim argued that responsibility for the abolition of the prosecution service lies not only with former President Yoon Suk-yeol but also with prosecution members who agreed with it or stood by. Hankook Ilbo set out disputed points in Kim’s record: he signed a 2020 statement by 17 prosecutor generals asking for reconsideration of the suspension and discipline of then prosecutor general Yoon, which critics cite in calling him pro-Yoon, while others say the statement raised procedural defects and that a court later cancelled the disciplinary action. [ 4 , 9 ]
Hankook Ilbo also reported that critics cite Kim’s 2022 briefing as Supreme Prosecutors’ Office criminal affairs chief against the law stripping the prosecution of investigative powers, while his side says he did not oppose separating investigation and indictment and was concerned about gaps in relief for crime victims. It said he was in the command line when former prosecutors Jung Jin-woong and Lee Kwang-cheol were indicted, but that he opposed the indictment in Jung’s case along with the lead prosecutor. The documents differ on his 2018 post: Yonhap, NoCut News and Hankook Ilbo say he headed the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office inspection division 1, while one Newsis report said he headed its prosecution division 1. [ 9 ]
Why it matters
The criticism comes from the head of the very bureau Kim Ji-yong has been nominated to lead, and it lands before his confirmation hearing, adding to questions over the leadership of the newly created investigative body. NoCut News reported that criticism of the nominee also continues within the ruling Democratic Party, suggesting the hearing may be contested, while Hankook Ilbo reported that the claims about his record remain disputed rather than settled.
Key facts
- Lim Eun-jung is the chief of the Gwangju Regional Major Crimes Investigation Bureau. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Kim Ji-yong is the nominee to become the first head of the Major Crimes Investigation Bureau. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- On Oct 5 Lim posted on Facebook that the bureau’s first head is its first investigator and that someone who should serve as a cautionary example must not be the first. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Lim said she had never once heard Kim speak out when the prosecution did what it should not do or failed to do what it should. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Lim claimed her 2018 complaint seeking an investigation of officials accused of covering up former prosecutor Jin Dong-gyun’s sexual assault was ignored when Kim headed inspection division 1 at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- Lim said she had publicly asked to be called as a witness or reference person at Kim’s confirmation hearing and had filed an information disclosure request. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
- NoCut News reported that President Lee approved the confirmation hearing request on Oct 2, that the hearing will be held soon, and that criticism of Kim also continues inside the Democratic Party. [ 5 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reported that Kim signed a 2020 statement by 17 prosecutor generals asking for reconsideration of the suspension and discipline of then prosecutor general Yoon Suk-yeol, and that critics cite his 2022 briefing against the law stripping the prosecution of investigative powers. [ 9 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Lim Eun-jung heads the Gwangju Regional Major Crimes Investigation Bureau and publicly criticised the nominee for the top post at the Major Crimes Investigation Bureau on Oct 5. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Kim Ji-yong is the nominee for the first head of the Major Crimes Investigation Bureau. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Lim wrote on Facebook that the bureau’s first head is its first investigator and that someone who should serve as a cautionary example should not be first. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Lim claimed Kim ignored her 2018 complaint about the handling of the sexual-assault allegation against former prosecutor Jin Dong-gyun when he headed a division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- Lim said she asked publicly to be called as a witness or reference person at Kim’s confirmation hearing and filed an information disclosure request. [ 1 , 3 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Kim Ji-yong’s exact post at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in 2018. Yonhap, NoCut News and Hankook Ilbo say he headed inspection division 1, while one Newsis report says he headed its prosecution division 1.
- Whether criticism of Kim inside the Democratic Party is broad or limited. Only NoCut News mentions it, and it gives no names or numbers.
- When the confirmation hearing will be held. NoCut News says only that it will be held soon after the Oct 2 approval of the request.
- Whether Lim will in fact submit the information disclosure decision document at the hearing. She said she would likely be able to bring it, not that she would.
- Whether the Newsis report published at 11:48 covers this event in its article text. Its headline concerns Lim’s criticism of Kim, but the article text is about an unrelated DMZ landmine incident.
- Whether Kim’s conduct in the specific cases critics cite amounts to grounds for rejecting his nomination. Hankook Ilbo sets out the critics’ claims and the rebuttals from Kim’s side, and says the actual decision-making differed from the claims, without resolving them.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports Lim’s Facebook post criticising Kim Ji-yong and her account of the ignored 2018 complaint. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes a report headlined on Lim’s criticism of Kim; its article text concerns an unrelated DMZ landmine incident. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports Lim asking whether Kim has the qualifications to be the bureau’s first investigator. [ 3 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports Lim saying responsibility for abolishing the prosecution service also lies with prosecution colleagues who agreed or stood by. [ 4 ]
- NoCut News reports the criticism, the Oct 2 approval of the confirmation hearing request, and that criticism of Kim also continues inside the Democratic Party. [ 5 ]
- NoCut News reports Lim demanding that Kim publicly answer questions about the Channel A case, the Kim Hak-ui travel ban case, and his responsibility as a prosecution executive. [ 6 ]
- Asia Economy reports Lim’s opposition to Kim’s nomination and her questions about his qualifications. [ 7 ]
- Hankook Ilbo publishes an explainer on the disputed issues surrounding Kim’s record, dated the following day. [ 9 ]