Kim Ji-yong, nominee to head the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, speaks at a press conference on Oct. 8 at the Changseong-dong annex of the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, central Seoul, where his confirmation hearing preparation office is located.NEWS1
Chang Se-jeong
The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.
President Lee Jae Myung, increasingly active on social media past midnight, must be experiencing his most complicated emotions since taking office.
Abroad, tensions with Washington continue. National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok's planned U.S. visit fell through, raising concerns about intelligence sharing on North Korea. Former Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae also encountered delays obtaining a U.S. visa.
Meanwhile, Korean soldiers were seriously injured by North Korean mines planted south of the military demarcation line. Yet Lee described the incident ambiguously as an "unfortunate accident," while Unification Minister Chung Dong-young gave North's Kim Yo-jong ammunition to counter Seoul's accusations.
Domestic troubles are equally serious. Seoul apartment prices have risen for a record 86 consecutive weeks. Shrinking rental supplies and rising property taxes are fueling public frustration. Farmers protested a nationwide farmland survey, prompting a government retreat.
Lee's approval rating, already declining since the June 3 local elections, stands at 37 percent against 51 percent disapproval, according to Gallup.
Perhaps most frustrating for Lee is the relentless criticism of his nomination of former prosecutor Kim Ji-yong as chief of the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
Ruling-camp figures including Rhyu Si-min, Kim Eo-jun, Jung Chung-rae, Choo Mi-ae, Kim Yong-min and Park Eun-jung have challenged the appointment almost in unison.
Rhyu, a former Roh Moo-hyun Foundation chairman, predicted the administration's failure, likened its governance to a monarchy or an aristocracy and accused Lee of deceiving the public about prosecutorial reform.
Gyeonggi Gov. Choo Mi-ae has openly demanded Kim Ji-yong's withdrawal, questioning why someone who could betray justice and the public should be appointed.
Some interpret her opposition as positioning for a future presidential bid. More plausibly, ruling-camp hard-liners who spearheaded the abolition of the Prosecutors' Office seek to establish control over its investigative successor.
They may fear the agency becoming a second prosecution service capable of investigating political corruption.
Presidents traditionally communicate displeasure indirectly through aides. But when explanations failed, Lee personally entered the dispute.
Rejecting accusations that Kim Ji-yong supported former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee cited Kim Ji-yong's record of opposing Yoon. He then warned against manipulating appointments for personal interests under the pretext of prosecutorial reform, even criticizing "irresponsible extremists."
Political observers increasingly regard this confrontation as a serious fracture within the governing coalition, rather than a disagreement over one nominee.
They see an emerging struggle over nominations for the 2028 parliamentary elections and succession to the presidency in 2030. Some warn of destructive internal division.
A political insider says former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan previously mediated between factions loyal to President Lee and former President Moon Jae-in.
Having served under Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Hae-chan maintained connections with Moon's camp. His close associate Lee Hwa-young, now imprisoned, had also served as vice governor under Lee Jae Myung.
But Lee Hae-chan's sudden death during a January visit to Vietnam as senior vice chairman of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council left a leadership vacuum.
Kim Ji-yong's parliamentary confirmation hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14, fully 37 days after his nomination. Yet internal disputes are intensifying.
Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung ordered an inspection of Gwangju investigative agency chief Lim Eun-jung, criticizing her public attacks on Kim's nomination. He said many citizens were concerned about her fixation on criticizing the nominee.
With Korea confronting serious challenges at home and abroad, can the governing camp afford endless factional battles over whether someone supported or opposed Yoon?
Except for some politically motivated prosecutors, the prosecution service performed more beneficial than harmful functions in Korea's criminal justice system over 78 years.
Hard-liners who recklessly abolished it out of political resentment bear primary responsibility for resolving the resulting institutional confusion. The public will remember their conduct.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
