GWANGJU — Lim Eun-jung, head of the Gwangju Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, reiterated her opposition to the appointment of Kim Ji-yong as the first chief of the national Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. In a doorstepping session in front of the Gwangju agency on the 6th, Lim said Kim "was part of the chain of command involved in several unsavory incidents during his time at the prosecution service."
Responding to claims that Kim had registered objections, Lim said, "As far as I know, he never filed a written objection, and I understand he signed off on everything." She added, "Saying no when something is wrong is the duty of a public official and the right of a citizen." Writing on Facebook the previous day, Lim said the first chief of the agency "is its first investigator" and that "someone who should serve as a cautionary example must not be the first."
She also sharply criticized the state of preparations for the agency's launch. "The doors aren't even installed, yet we're driving with passengers on board," she said. "A normal departure is impossible." She added, "Security is the lifeblood of an investigative body, but having only desks and people in a large space does not make a system." Lim said no budget had been allocated, that senior officials were notified of their postings only the day before the agency opened, and that "there wasn't even an organizational chart when we opened."
She disclosed that she had sent an email to the justice minister in June suggesting that a delay in the opening be considered. "This is the first overhaul of the investigative structure in 78 years, so there was far too much to prepare," Lim said. "One year is not enough for normal operations."
She also raised the issue of jurisdiction. The Gwangju agency covers Jeonbuk State and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province as well, raising concerns that residents in distant areas may be inconvenienced by having to travel to Gwangju. "Setting up branch offices appears difficult for now," Lim said. "If necessary, we will respond by conducting investigations on site." She stressed that "it should be public officials, not citizens, who bear the inconvenience."
As investigative principles, she put forward fairness and restraint. "Without fairness, we cannot earn public trust or acceptance of our findings," Lim said. She added, "Investigations that dig into a case because it looks winnable, and then go after the family when nothing turns up, will not happen at the Gwangju agency."
She also pledged a break with the organizational culture of the prosecution service. "We will move beyond top-down obedience and shielding our own to build a new organizational culture," she said. "We will become an organization that citizens can trust."
The Gwangju Serious Crimes Investigation Agency is expected to hold its opening ceremony on the 7th and formally begin operations.
