Most Popular
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IMF lowers Korea's 2025 growth outlook to 2%
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CJ CheilJedang to spur overseas growth with new Hungary, US plants
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Japan to hold 1st memorial for Korean forced labor victims at Sado mine
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[Herald Interview] How Gopizza got big in India
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Nearly half of pines at Seoraksan face extinction due to global warming: study
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Nationwide rail disruptions feared as union plans strike from Dec. 5
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Blackpink's solo journeys: Complementary paths, not competition
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Seoul to host winter festival from Dec. 13
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박근혜 대통령은 27일 새 검찰총장 후보에 김진태(61.사법연수원 14기.경남 사천) 전 대검차장을 지명했다. 채동욱 전임 총장이 지난 9월30일 퇴임한 이후 근 한달만의 일이다.
이정현 청와대 홍보수석은 이날 청와대 춘추관에서 한 브리핑에서 "박 대통령은 검찰조직을 하루빨리 정상화하고 현재 현안이 되고있는 사건들을 공정하고 철저히 수사해 마무리하며 국민의 신뢰를 받는 검찰을 만들기 위해 오늘 새 총장 내정자에 김 전 대검차장을 내정했다"고 밝혔다.
또 이 수석은 "김 내정자는 총장 권한대행을 비롯해 서울고검장 등 검찰 주요 보직을 두루 거쳤다"며 "경험과 경륜이 풍부하고, 청렴하고 강직한 성품으로 검찰 내 신망이 두터운 분"이라고 덧붙였다.
이어 "전직 대통령 비자금 사건과 전직 대통령 아들 사건, 한보비리 사건 등 국민적 이목이 집중되었던 사건들을 법과 원칙에 따라서 엄정하게 처리한 분으로 검찰 총장의 직책을 훌륭하게 수행할 수 있는 적임자"라고 인선 배경을 설명했다.
박 대통령의 지명에 앞서 황교안 법무장관은 지난 25일 검찰총장후보추천위가 추천한 4명을 대상으로 국정철학 공유, 조직내 신망과 장악력, 도덕성 등에 대한 평가를 거쳐 김 전 대검차장을 낙점, 박 대통에게 제청한 것으로 알려졌다.
이에 따라 김 후보자는 이르면 11월 둘째주 국회 인사청문회를 받게되며, 대통령이 최종 임명하는 절차를 밟는다. 그러나 김 전 차장은 김기춘 청와대 비서실장이 아끼는 인사로 알려지고 있어 국회 인사청문회 과정에서 쟁점으로 부상할 가능성을 키우고 있다.
당장 정치권은 김 전 차장의 새 검찰총장 후보 지명에 대해 극명히 엇갈린 반응을 보였다.
새누리당 유일호 대변인은 구두 논평에서 "인사청문회에서 적절한 검증을 하겠다"면서도 "검찰 내부에서 능력을 인정받고 신망도 있는 인물이 된 것 같다. 아주 잘된 인사라고 생각한다"고 말했다.
반면 민주당 김관영 대변인은 브리핑에서 "김 내정자는 김 비서실장의 최측근이라는 점은 주지의 사실"이라면서 "국정원 댓글 사건의 진실을 덮으려는 청와대의 입장을 그대로 대변하는 검찰총장이 되지 않을까 우려된다"고 비판했다.
이런 논란 가능성에도 불구, 박 대통령이 김 전 차장을 검찰총장 후보에 지명한 것은 '혼외자 논란'으로 채동욱 전 검찰총장이 불명예퇴진한 이래 국가정보원 수사에 따른 검찰내분 등의 혼란을 추스르고 검찰조직을 정상화하는데 그가 최적임자라고 판단했기 때문인 것으로 알려졌다.
진주고를 중퇴하고 검정고시를 거쳐 서울대 법대를 졸업한 김 전 차장은 노태우 전 대통령 비자금 사건과 한보비리 사건, 김대중 전 대통령 차남 홍업씨 조사 등을 맡은 검찰내 대표적 특수통 검사로 꼽힌다.
특히 4명의 후보 중 가장 연장자이며 사법연수원 기수도 가장 높아 검찰을 장악하면서 '검란' 사태에 이른 조직안정을 꾀할 수 있는 인물로 청와대가 판단했다는 것이 대체적 관측이다.
한편 박 대통령이 이날 새 검찰총장을 지명함으로써 그간 공석상태이던 감사원장, 보건복지부장관, 문화체육관광부 제2차관 등 정부의 주요 공직이 모두 채워지게 됐으며, 아울러 국가정보원장과 경찰청장, 국세청장, 감사원장을 포함한 5대 권력기관장의 인선이 취임 8개월여만에 마무리됐다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Park picks new prosecution chief amid growing controversy over NIS probe
By Cho Chung-un
President Park Geun-hye on Sunday tapped veteran corruption fighter Kim Jin-tae to head the prosecution marred by an internal feud over a highly sensitive investigation into the alleged election meddling by the National Intelligence Service.
Cheong Wa Dae expressed hopes that Kim, a former deputy prosecutor general, would be able to stabilize the law enforcement organization and conclude a series of pending cases fairly and thoroughly.
But the main opposition party raised concerns that the nominee is a close confidant of Kim Ki-choon, presidential chief of staff, which indicates Park’s intention to tighten her control of the prosecution.
He said the president is confident that he would regain public’s trust in the prosecution in consideration of his past activities
“Nominated as prosecutor general at a time the prosecution faces a crisis, I feel a grave responsibility,” he said in a message to reporters.
“The nominee is the right man who could carry out the job of prosecution chief (judging from) his experience of handling sensitive issues sternly based on law and principle,” Lee Jung-hyun, senior presidential public relations secretary, told reporters.
The 60-year-old directly led investigations into a number of high-profile incidents involving former presidents and major conglomerates. He also served various posts in the prosecution including acting prosecutor general and head of Seoul Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.
“Nominated as prosecutor general at a time the prosecution faces a crisis, I feel a grave responsibility,” he said in a message to reporters.
The nominee is likely to undergo a parliamentary hearing on the second week of November after the ongoing National Assembly audits of the administration.
Kim replaces former prosecutor general Chae Dong-wook who resigned last month upon allegations of concealing an extramarital child. Chae cried foul as the opposition accused the government of pressuring him to step down over the probe into the National Intelligence Service’s purported election interference.
It was widely expected for Cheong Wa Dae to announce its nominations within the week to fill the posts left vacant after a series of resignations by minister-level officials who allegedly were at strife with the presidential office.
The president on Friday tapped judge Hwang Chan-hyun to head the Board of Audit and Inspection to fill the post left empty since former BAI chief stepped down in August amid allegations of interference and pressure from the Park administration. Korea Development Institute researcher Moon Hyung-pyo was named as new health and welfare minister on the same day, to succeed former minister Chin Young who resigned citing fissures with Cheong Wa Dae over new basic pension scheme.
(christory@heraldcorp.com)
Park picks new prosecution chief amid growing controversy over NIS probe
By Cho Chung-un
President Park Geun-hye on Sunday tapped veteran corruption fighter Kim Jin-tae to head the prosecution marred by an internal feud over a highly sensitive investigation into the alleged election meddling by the National Intelligence Service.
Cheong Wa Dae expressed hopes that Kim, a former deputy prosecutor general, would be able to stabilize the law enforcement organization and conclude a series of pending cases fairly and thoroughly.
But the main opposition party raised concerns that the nominee is a close confidant of Kim Ki-choon, presidential chief of staff, which indicates Park’s intention to tighten her control of the prosecution.
He said the president is confident that he would regain public’s trust in the prosecution in consideration of his past activities
“Nominated as prosecutor general at a time the prosecution faces a crisis, I feel a grave responsibility,” he said in a message to reporters.
“The nominee is the right man who could carry out the job of prosecution chief (judging from) his experience of handling sensitive issues sternly based on law and principle,” Lee Jung-hyun, senior presidential public relations secretary, told reporters.
The 60-year-old directly led investigations into a number of high-profile incidents involving former presidents and major conglomerates. He also served various posts in the prosecution including acting prosecutor general and head of Seoul Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.
“Nominated as prosecutor general at a time the prosecution faces a crisis, I feel a grave responsibility,” he said in a message to reporters.
The nominee is likely to undergo a parliamentary hearing on the second week of November after the ongoing National Assembly audits of the administration.
Kim replaces former prosecutor general Chae Dong-wook who resigned last month upon allegations of concealing an extramarital child. Chae cried foul as the opposition accused the government of pressuring him to step down over the probe into the National Intelligence Service’s purported election interference.
It was widely expected for Cheong Wa Dae to announce its nominations within the week to fill the posts left vacant after a series of resignations by minister-level officials who allegedly were at strife with the presidential office.
The president on Friday tapped judge Hwang Chan-hyun to head the Board of Audit and Inspection to fill the post left empty since former BAI chief stepped down in August amid allegations of interference and pressure from the Park administration. Korea Development Institute researcher Moon Hyung-pyo was named as new health and welfare minister on the same day, to succeed former minister Chin Young who resigned citing fissures with Cheong Wa Dae over new basic pension scheme.
(christory@heraldcorp.com)
