Politics · South Korea · 2 days ago
South Korean president criticizes party hardliners over reform and appointments
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung criticized hardliners in his political camp on October 9.
He said some people were seeking senior posts and trying to control appointments and government policy, then using radical reform arguments to attack from within.
His comments came during a dispute over Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to lead the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
Some politicians and officials have publicly opposed Kim’s nomination as part of a wider debate over reform of the prosecution service.
The dispute has raised tensions within the ruling camp, despite warnings from party leaders to show restraint.
Kim’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for October 14.
The reports say the conflict could continue after the hearing.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung criticized ruling-party hardliners on October 9, accusing them of seeking senior posts and trying to control appointments and policy.
Lee said some were using radical reform as a cause to attack others within the governing camp.
His comments were widely interpreted as targeting opponents of Kim Ji-yong’s nomination to lead the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
The dispute is linked to disagreements over government appointments and the prosecution reform process.
Kim’s parliamentary confirmation hearing was scheduled for October 14.
- Who
- President Lee Jae-myung criticized ruling-party hardliners, including figures who opposed Kim Ji-yong’s nomination.
- What
- Lee accused them of seeking senior posts and using radical reform to justify internal attacks.
- When
- October 9, 2026.
- Where
- Lee made the comments in a post on X.
- Why
- The comments were interpreted as a response to hardliners’ opposition to Kim’s nomination and disagreements over prosecution reform.
President Lee and ruling-party leadership
Ruling-party hardliners
Appointments and policy
President Lee and ruling-party leadership
Lee criticized people he said sought to control appointments and national policy for their own purposes.
Ruling-party hardliners
They opposed Kim Ji-yong’s nomination and called for it to be withdrawn.
Prosecution reform
President Lee and ruling-party leadership
Lee said radical reform was being used as a pretext for internal attacks and warned against influencing personnel decisions and specific investigative work for personal interests.
Ruling-party hardliners
Hardliners voiced opposition to government policy and the nomination in the name of prosecution reform.
Even if pure radicalism is a problem, it is more problematic to demand senior posts despite lacking the ability, try to control appointments or national policy, and then, when that fails, invoke radical reform as a cause to attack others within the group.
We must not, in the name of prosecution reform and for personal interests, try to control appointments and specific investigative and prosecution work.
It is not that comrades are struck down for the sake of revolution; striking down comrades itself becomes the revolution.
If you avoid surgery because it hurts, you will suffer longer and more, and may even lose your life.
Lee nominated Kim Ji-yong to lead the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
The government submitted Kim’s confirmation hearing request to the National Assembly after further vetting.
Lee warned against using prosecution reform to influence appointments and specific investigative or prosecution work for personal interests.
Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae criticized the decision not to call Lim Eun-jung as a witness at Kim’s confirmation hearing.
Lee criticized hardliners in a post on X.
Kim’s confirmation hearing was scheduled to take place.
- Nominee
- Kim Ji-yong
- Position
- Head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency
- President
- Lee Jae-myung
- Statement date
- October 9, 2026
- Confirmation hearing
- Scheduled for October 14
- Platform
- X
Sources
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