President Moon Appoints Choo Mi-ae as Justice Minister, Accelerates Prosecutorial Reform (Comprehensive)

President Moon Appoints Minister Choo Mi-ae as First Official Act of the Year
Business Leaders Attend "New Year’s Gathering for the Year of the Rat"

[Asia Economy, Reporter Ryu Jungmin, Reporter Son Sunhee, Reporter Kim Hyungmin] On January 2, President Moon Jae-in began the new year by approving the appointment of Choo Mi-ae as Minister of Justice as his first official work of 2020, signaling an acceleration in prosecutorial reform. President Moon's New Year’s greeting for the Year of the Rat also emphasized the reform of power institutions and the creation of a fair society.

Ko Min-jung, spokesperson for the Blue House, stated, "President Moon approved the appointment of Minister-nominee Choo around 7 a.m.," adding, "Minister Choo's term began at midnight today."

This appointment filled the position of Minister of Justice, which had been vacant for 80 days since the resignation of former Minister Cho Kuk on October 14 of the previous year. Minister Choo accompanied President Moon on his visit to the National Cemetery at 8 a.m. The Blue House will hold the official appointment ceremony for Minister Choo at 2:30 p.m. It is reported that Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol will also attend the ceremony.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon’s swift appointment of Minister Choo reflects his determination to reform power institutions this year. The blueprint for prosecutorial reform under the Moon Jae-in administration is expected to become clearer with the upcoming personnel reshuffle in the prosecution scheduled for early this year.

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol also began his official work for the new year by visiting the National Cemetery at 9:20 a.m. He wrote in the guestbook, "Upholding the will of our ancestors who devoted themselves to the nation, I will work with the people to build a just prosecution." Minister Choo is scheduled to meet with senior prosecutors in the afternoon to discuss major pending issues. With the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the adjustment of investigative powers between the prosecution and police, 2020 is expected to be a year of historic transformation for the prosecution, and there is a possibility that tensions in Seocho-dong could be reignited.

Meanwhile, President Moon declared the beginning of a "new 100 years for the Republic of Korea," centered on economic innovation and shared growth, at the New Year’s gathering held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of January 2. President Moon emphasized, "In the new year, we will bring about even more 'definite changes.' The reform of power institutions and the creation of a fair society are the starting points," adding, "No power institution can exist above the people."

The event was attended by Park Yongman, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sohn Kyungshik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, and leaders of the five major economic organizations, as well as major business leaders such as Lee Jaeyong, Vice Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chung Euisun, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Chey Taewon, Chairman of SK Group; and Koo Kwangmo, Chairman of LG Group.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.