Prosecutor Personnel Committee to Convene Tomorrow... Choo Mi-ae Likely to Implement Lee Joo's Prosecutor Personnel Changes

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] It is reported that Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae will exercise her authority over prosecutorial personnel appointments within this week, leading to heightened tension in Seocho-dong as she moves to consolidate control over the organization.

According to legal circles on the 5th, the Ministry of Justice is expected to hold a Prosecutorial Personnel Committee meeting on the morning of the 6th at the Government Gwacheon Complex to discuss promotions and transfers of senior prosecutors at the level of chief prosecutors and above.

The announcement of senior prosecutorial personnel appointments is anticipated to take shape as early as the 6th. Given Minister Choo’s expressed determination in her inaugural speech, it is expected that the direction and intensity of reform will be clearly reflected in these appointments. It is presumed that the outline of the senior prosecutorial personnel appointments envisioned by Minister Choo has been largely finalized. The convening of the Prosecutorial Personnel Committee indicates that the personnel blueprint has been mostly drawn up.

The government reportedly began vetting candidates for senior promotions since Minister Choo’s candidacy period, also referencing reputation inquiry data collected by the police on candidates for prosecutorial senior posts.

Minister Choo is expected to prioritize filling seven currently vacant positions at the chief prosecutor level and above. These include the chief prosecutors of Daejeon, Daegu, and Gwangju High Prosecutors’ Offices, deputy chief prosecutors of Busan and Suwon High Prosecutors’ Offices, the head of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and the planning director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Since Minister Choo’s appointment on the 2nd, Park Gyun-taek, head of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, tendered his resignation, increasing the number of vacant senior prosecutorial posts from six to seven.

At the same time, it is widely expected that promotions and transfers of senior prosecutors will be conducted on a large scale. Depending on the personnel outcomes, there is also a possibility that additional senior prosecutors may submit their resignations.

Particular attention is focused on whether there will be a 'shake-up' in key positions at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. There is speculation about replacing several positions within the command of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and the Seoul Central and Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Offices, which handle investigations targeting the ruling party and the Blue House. The investigation team at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office probing allegations of cover-up in the case of former Busan Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo and the command line investigating the Ulsan mayoral election interference allegations are also expected to be subject to personnel changes.

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