'I asked Gemini': Lee cites AI to defend investigative chiefs' Cabinet attendance

President Lee Jae Myung pushed back against criticism over the attendance of the heads of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) and the Prosecution Service at a Cabinet meeting — citing a response from AI to defend the practice.

Lee shared a post on X on Wednesday titled "I asked Gemini," responding to criticism from the opposition that allowing the heads of investigative and prosecutorial agencies to attend Cabinet meetings could undermine their independence.

The Gemini response shared by Lee described arguments against their attendance as "an unconstitutional distortion that denies Article 11 of the Government Organization Act."

It also called such arguments "sophistry that directly rejects the president's administrative oversight authority and the structure of government leadership established under the Government Organization Act."

The Gemini response cited provisions of the Government Organization Act granting the president, as head of government, the authority to direct and supervise the heads of all central administrative agencies. It also pointed to a provision allowing the heads of major administrative agencies designated by the prime minister to attend Cabinet meetings and speak on matters within their jurisdiction.

The response also stated it was contradictory to suggest that the president could direct and supervise these agencies while barring their heads from attending Cabinet meetings.

"If an agency head is subject to the president's direction, attending Cabinet meetings to discuss official business transparently is consistent with constitutional principles of accountable government," the Gemini response said. "Seeking to prevent this would be a dangerous idea that undermines the president's administrative oversight authority and leaves investigative and prosecutorial bodies as extraterritorial sanctuaries behind closed doors, beyond democratic control."

SCIA chief Kim Ji-yong and acting head of the Prosecution Service Lee Jung-hyun attended a Cabinet meeting chaired by Lee on Tuesday. Their attendance raised concerns that having investigative and prosecutorial agency chiefs at Cabinet meetings could compromise their independence and political neutrality.

After sharing Gemini's response, President Lee posted a separate message defending the practice.

"All agency chiefs, including those of the Korea Forest Service, National Fire Agency and Korea Coast Guard, attend meetings and participate in discussions," He wrote. "The SCIA and Prosecution Service are simply two more agencies whose chiefs are subject to the direction of the president, prime minister and ministers. Correcting the mistaken perception and practice of treating agencies with investigative authority as special cases is also part of restoring normalcy."

Addressing concerns about investigative independence, President Lee said he will not direct investigations into individual cases and that there is no need to worry.

Despite Lee's defense, the opposition continued to criticize the practice, accusing him of using an AI-generated response to dismiss concerns about the agencies' political independence.

"The president asked AI about public concerns over the attendance of the SCIA and Prosecution Service chiefs at Cabinet meetings, then posted its response on social media saying there was no problem," People Power Party (PPP) spokesperson Cho Yong-sool said in a statement Wednesday. "It is an absurd idea that any government action can now be justified as long as AI provides an answer supporting it."

Cho echoed concerns that the investigative agencies could come under the administration's political influence, and added that "Using an AI-generated response as grounds to dismiss these concerns is an extremely frivolous approach for a president responsible for governing the country on behalf of the people."

PPP Rep. Park Choong-kwon, also the party's chief spokesperson, argued that legal permissibility does not necessarily make the practice appropriate. He also noted even the civic group People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy had urged the agency chiefs to refrain from regularly attending Cabinet meetings.

"After calling for 'investigations without exception,' the president summoned the head of an investigative agency to a Cabinet meeting before the ink on his appointment certificate had even dried," Park said. "The pledge to 'end the politicization of investigations' has become an empty slogan from day one."

Rep. Na Kyung-won also criticized the move, saying, "The person responsible for conducting investigations sat before someone who could be investigated."

"No previous administration has had the heads of investigative agencies attend Cabinet meetings," Na wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. "It has been a longstanding unwritten rule in our constitutional history to protect investigative independence and political neutrality."

Na also raised concerns that the practice could influence the handling of criminal cases involving President Lee.

"The anxiety of a president who is a criminal suspect and defendant facing five trials will ultimately lead to the withdrawal of charges in his own cases," Na said. "The SCIA chief, Prosecution Service chief and national police chief must stop attending Cabinet meetings. The president must stop summoning the heads of investigative agencies."

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon also criticized Lee in a Facebook post Wednesday.

"Even if you brought in Gemini's grandfather, the president still must not direct investigations or prosecutions," Han wrote. "From the very beginning, the president is turning the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency into a subordinate investigative agency and the Prosecution Service into a political manipulation agency."

"Why do you think Korea has refrained from having the heads of investigative and prosecutorial agencies attend Cabinet meetings all these years?" Han added. "Was everyone except President Lee a fool? Stop making unreasonable arguments and come to your senses."

BY HAN YOUNG-HYE, CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]