Ensuring the Political Independence of Investigative Agencies, Which Has Been Thrown to the Wind

‘Controversy’ over the Head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency Attending Cabinet Meetings
Kim Ji-yong (left), Head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, and Lee Jung-hyun, Acting Prosecutor General, greet each other during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 20th, presided over by President Lee Jae-myung. In the front is Kim Jong-cheol, Acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency. Yonhap News
Kim Ji-yong's First Attendance… Concerns Over Investigative Independence
Lee: “Must Prove the Significance of the Agency’s Existence”
Legal Community: “Potential to Cause Misunderstandings”
As the attendance of heads of investigative agencies, such as the prosecution and police, at Cabinet meetings has expanded under the Lee Jae-myung administration, Kim Ji-yong, the first Head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, also attended a Cabinet meeting for the first time on the 20th. Regarding the regular attendance of agency heads—who are tasked with investigating the President and high-ranking government officials—at Cabinet meetings, the legal community is expressing concerns that this may conflict with the principle of ensuring the political independence of investigative agencies.
During the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House this morning, President Lee Jae-myung stated, “As the Serious Crime Investigation Agency begins a new chapter as an independent agency for investigating serious crimes, a new sense of determination and commitment is required.” He added, “Regarding white-collar crimes, power-based corruption, and securities/financial crimes that destroy citizens' lives and disrupt social order, please prove the significance and necessity of the agency to the people by mobilizing all investigative resources to crack down on them strictly, without bias or any sacred cows.” President Lee also remarked, “I believe the Head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency attended today.”
https://www.munhwa.com/article/11624842