Kim Jin-wook, head of the Office of Crime Investigation for High-ranking Officials, announced on the 25th that “We will not investigate the candidates for the next March presidential election.” He said, “We will avoid (investigating) an event that may affect the election and causing a controversy about neutrality.” Regarding the establishment of the Severe Crime Investigation Office (Investigation Office) pushed by the ruling party, he said, “The reform of the system should take time to ensure that the people will not suffer damage.” He expressed the opposition to the ruling party’s’speed battle’. It also raised the need to’complement’ the separation of the right to investigate and prosecute.
Senior Public Officials Criminal Investigation Chief Kim Jin-wook is making a keynote speech on the theme of “The Democratic Republic and the Rule of Law” at the forum hosted by the Kwanhoon Club held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 25th.
First discussion with Kwanhoon Club on the 25th
Director Kim participated in the Kwanhoon Forum held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul that day. This is the first time that I participated in an external discussion event after taking office on the 21st of last month. At this meeting, Director Kim gave a detailed explanation on how to ensure neutrality and independence for the airlift. It was conscious of the controversy over the political bias that followed like a tag with the launch of the airlift.
“If you investigate ahead of the election, you will have questions about election intervention”
He said, “As the investigative agency conducted an investigation before the election in the political affairs, a lot of talks about the candidate’s favor or disadvantage came out.” said. It means that they will refrain from investigating candidates as much as possible ahead of the April by-election to elect the mayors of Seoul and Busan.
Naturally, I was interested in the investigation of the candidate for the presidential election, which was approaching a year ahead.
- Jang Se-jeong, Editorial Writer, JoongAng Ilbo: There will be a presidential election next March. Even if the corruption of the presidential election runner was caught, and the charges are specific, will the investigation be delayed after the election?
- Director Kim: The imminence of the election must also be considered. The April election can be seen as imminent. It is a question of whether it is a time apart from the election, what serious charges are it, and whether it is an unacceptable crime. It doesn’t mean that we don’t do all the investigations uniformly.
- Commissioner Jang: After the candidate is registered, is it that he will not investigate because it is imminent?
- Director Kim: I think that can be a standard. I think it can be seen as a candidate registration criteria.
After reporting the criterion of’imminent’ election as the candidate registration date, he expressed his intention to refrain from investigating candidates for the presidential election as much as possible.
At the forum hosted by the Kwanhoon Club held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 25th, Kim Jin-wook, the Minister of Public Transport, indicated that “we will not investigate the presidential candidate.”
“There is no hotline with the Blue House”
Director Kim also said, “There is no’hot line’ with the Blue House.” It is about the question,’Will you receive a phone call from the Blue House?’ “There will be no hot line in the future,” he stressed. Again, it is interpreted as a word conscious of the neutrality of the airlift.
Regarding the question of whether to fill the entire three-year term, he emphasized, “I think that the term of office should be kept no matter what happens. If I do not keep the term of office, there will be problems with the establishment of the system.”
“Inconvenient for the public to install the investigation office”
About the installation of the investigation office, where the passport is driving strongly, Kim suggested the theory of speed control. He said, “The people who will suffer the most difficulties in the midst of a major change in (the investigation system).” He feared, “Where will he be investigating the case he accused of, and where he should go, whether he will experience inconvenience or damage from the public’s standpoint.” He said, “Institutional reform should be carried out while paying attention to the public’s standpoint over time.” It is a perspective that is contrary to the intention of the ruling party to push for the installation of the investigation office.
The ruling party also expressed its intention that “it needs to be supplemented” in the pursuit of separation of investigation and prosecution. “There are many people who say that the separation of the investigation and prosecution is not right because it may be difficult to maintain the prosecution if a prosecutor who is not involved in the investigation enters, but it is worth listening.” Explained. He added, “The Ministry of Public Investigation has the right to investigate and prosecute at the same time, but internally, the investigation department and the prosecution department will be operated separately.” It can be interpreted that it is part of the agreement with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who opposes the establishment of the investigation office and the abolition of the prosecution’s right to investigate.
Minister of Public Transport Kim Jin-wook attended the Kwanhoon Forum held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 25th and said, “The installation of the Heavy Water Office may cause inconvenience to the public.” News 1
The autumn-尹 conflict is due to “conflicting principles, lack of communication”
Regarding the conflict between former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and President Yoon Seok-yeol, “the two seem to have their own principles regarding the prosecution’s personnel and investigations.” I think there are some parts that have occurred.”
When asked if Supreme Court Chief Kim Myung-soo thinks he should resign, he said, “As the head of the investigative agency, I feel very sorry for the current situation in the judiciary. He rejected his resignation to the high court chief judge for impeachment of the National Assembly and has even caused controversy about’lie’.
The relationship between the prosecution and the airlift was compared to the relationship between the Constitutional Court (Constitutional Court) and the Supreme Court. Kim said, “In the past, the Supreme Court had all the powers, but the authority for constitutional trials was disguised as the Constitution,” he said. “Since the Constitution was created, the freedom and rights of the people have increased, and the Supreme Court has changed very forward.” He explained that “the airborne ministry and the prosecution will be able to have such a relationship for the people.”
On this day, the forum was hosted by Hong Ji-young, auditor of Kwanhoon Club (SBS editorial department senior reporter), and Lee Kang-eun, head of the Segye Ilbo, Lee Jong-soo, senior reporter of YTN’s economic department, Lee Joo-hyun, head of the Hankyoreh, politician director of the Hankyoreh, and Jang Se-jeong, an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo (name in alphabetical order) participated in the discussion.
Reporter Ha Nam-hyun [email protected]
