The Candidate Recommendation Committee for the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Service on the 4th selected four people—attorneys Kim Gwan-jeong, Kim Ji-yong, and Moon Hong-joo, and Professor Lee Yun-je—and recommended them to Minister Yoon Ho-jung of the Minister of the Interior and Safety as candidates for the inaugural Administrator.
By law, the Minister of the Interior and Safety can also recommend candidates, but made no separate recommendation. Minister Yoon is expected to pick one of the four as the final candidate and submit the nomination to President Lee Jae-myung.
Among the four candidates, attorneys Kim Gwan-jeong and Kim Ji-yong are former prosecutors. Professor Lee Yun-je also has experience working as a prosecutor. Attorney Moon Hong-joo is a former judge. With the abolition of the Prosecution Service, it turns out that many of the candidates for the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Service are from prosecutorial backgrounds.
Committee Chairperson Lee Ju-won said, "It was the consensus that it would not be desirable to uniformly exclude those under review just because they have prosecutorial experience at the recommendation stage," adding, "We focused our review on investigative expertise, leadership to stabilize the new organization, and views on the purpose and role of the Serious Crimes Investigation Service."
Attorney Kim Gwan-jeong is a former chief prosecutor who, while serving as head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, led the probe into allegations of preferential military leave for the son of former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. Attorney Kim Ji-yong served as chief of the criminal affairs department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, among other posts. Professor Lee Yun-je worked as an assistant special prosecutor for the sedition special counsel, and attorney Moon Hong-joo served as the only special prosecutor who was a former judge in the Kim Keon-hee special counsel team.
No candidate with a police background made the shortlist for the inaugural head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Service. Superintendent Baek Hae-ryong, who investigated the "customs drug smuggling allegations" that ended with no charges, entered the review pool through a public recommendation process but did not pass the committee's threshold. At least two-thirds of the full committee must agree for a person to become a candidate.
Chairperson Lee explained, "Superintendent Baek was among the 23 recommended persons and agreed to the review process, so he was included among the final 11 under review," but added, "As a result of the committee's discussion on suitability for the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Service, we resolved not to recommend him."
Minister Yoon is expected to soon select one final candidate based on the committee's recommendations and submit the nomination to President Lee. After a National Assembly confirmation hearing, the president will make the final appointment of the inaugural head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Service.
The Serious Crimes Investigation Service will, starting Oct. 2, take exclusive charge of seven major crime categories: corruption, economic, narcotics, defense procurement, national protection, cyber, and legal distortion. It will launch with a headquarters and six regional offices—Seoul, Suwon, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Gwangju—with a total authorized staff of 2,874. Of these, 2,567 investigators will handle direct investigations. The Administrator's term is two years and is nonrenewable.