‘Back home’ President Lee Jae Myung likely to order the appointment of Kim Ji-yong and the formation of a special investigation headquarters for the rebellion… Will he move to persuade supporters and launch a drive to clean up the rebellion? - 경향신문

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President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung, having completed a state visit to Mexico, greet well-wishers from Air Force Unit 1 at Felipe ngeles International Airport in Mexico City on the 26th (local time). Yonhap News

After completing a tour of the United States and Mexico, President Lee Jae Myung is expected to move in earnest on domestic issues, such as resuming the appointment process for Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, and ordering the formation of a special investigation headquarters for the rebellion case. The move is seen as highlighting, once again, a determination to pursue reform in order to persuade the base and secure momentum for governance.

With President Lee having wrapped up a five-night, seven-day tour on the 27th, the top-priority task before him is the personnel process for Kim, the nominee to lead the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. Earlier, on the 8th, President Lee announced the nomination of Kim, but as opposition to the appointment continued, led by hard-liners in the ruling camp, he ordered additional vetting, bringing procedures such as the National Assembly confirmation hearing to a halt. Inside and outside the presidential office, it is said that although additional vetting was conducted, opinion has coalesced around the view that there are no particular disqualifying issues.

Given that the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency is imminent on the 2nd of next month, there are calls for President Lee to hurry the appointment process, including by submitting a request for a confirmation hearing to the National Assembly. Kwon Chil-seung, policy committee chair of the Democratic Party, held a press briefing at the National Assembly this day and said, “(the agency) must be launched within a few days, so it is only natural that the post overseeing major investigations and the criminal justice system cannot be left vacant for long,” and added, “I think there may be a nomination in the near future at the earliest.”

It is also reported that immediately upon returning home, President Lee is considering directing the creation of a special investigation headquarters for holding 12·3 rebellion participants accountable. If established, the rebellion special investigation headquarters would first be set up under the police, with strong prospects that the organization would be expanded when the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency launches next month. In that case, the investigation into rebellion charges could become the first case for the agency. With both the rebellion special prosecutor and the second comprehensive special prosecutor having concluded, the intent is for the government to form the special headquarters and launch a direct investigation to root out the ‘remaining rebellion forces’.

Pushing both the appointment of Kim and the formation of the rebellion special investigation headquarters at the same time is analyzed as a move conscious of criticism, centered among hard-line supporters of the ruling camp, that reform is backsliding, and as an attempt to persuade the base. While taking a cautious approach with additional vetting in response to supporter backlash to Kim's nomination, the plan is to press ahead with the appointment in line with the agency launch schedule to demonstrate a commitment to prosecutorial reform, and to bring the reform agenda of settling the rebellion back to the forefront through the rebellion special investigation headquarters.

Earlier, at a meeting with Korean residents in Mexico on the 24th (local time), President Lee emphasized the need for pragmatic reform, citing the precedent during the Roh Moo-hyun administration when an attempt to amend the National Security Act to remove toxic clauses fell through due to hard-liners demands for complete repeal.

Some also interpret this as targeting Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, who has previously been reported to the special prosecutor on suspicion of participating in the rebellion. The view is that Chief Justice Cho, who is in a head-on confrontation with the presidential office over the issue of re-recommending a Supreme Court justice candidate, could be pressured through an investigation by the special headquarters. Previously, immediately after the 12·3 proclamation of martial law, Chief Justice Cho convened an emergency senior meeting at the Supreme Court to discuss a plan to hand judicial power to the Martial Law Command, leading to accusations of involvement in the rebellion, but the case was dismissed by both the rebellion special prosecutor and the second comprehensive special prosecutor.

Another urgent task is selecting a successor to Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff of the Office of the President, who tendered his resignation on the 21st, the day President Lee departed on his tour. As Kang stepped down taking responsibility for the recent drop in approval ratings and personnel failures, the choice of his successor could serve as a barometer of the will to revitalize state affairs. President Lee is expected to accept Kang's resignation immediately after returning home and begin searching for a successor. It is also reported that President Lee's deliberations are dragging on over the choice of a successor to the policy chief, a post that has been vacant for a month.

Another issue President Lee must resolve is the conflict with Chief Justice Cho, who stated during the trip, “We cannot comply with the request to re-recommend a Supreme Court justice.” On the 22nd, Chief Justice Cho rejected the presidential office request to re-recommend Son Bong-gi as successor to former Justice Noh Tae-ak, saying both re-recommendation and forming a new candidate recommendation committee are impossible.

The presidential office immediately expressed regret, calling it “an attempt to nullify the appointment authority of a president elected by the people,” but Chief Justice Cho issued a rebuttal, and the dispute appears likely to drag on. With projections that appointing a successor to former Justice Noh may be difficult before Chief Justice Cho retires next June, attention is on whether President Lee will step in personally to mediate.