Prosecutor Personnel Committee Concludes, Announcement Imminent... 'Choo-Yoon' Expected to Meet in Person This Afternoon (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyung-min and Song Seung-yoon] The highly anticipated personnel reshuffle of senior prosecutors has completed its final discussions and is about to be officially announced. It is expected to be announced as early as late this afternoon or by the 9th at the latest.

The Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor Personnel Committee held a meeting at 11 a.m. on the 8th at the Government Complex Gwacheon to discuss the promotion and transfer personnel plan for senior prosecutors submitted by Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. The committee, chaired by lawyer Lee Chang-jae, a former Deputy Minister of Justice, consists of a total of 11 members including three prosecutors, two judges, two lawyers, two law professors, and two external members. All members attended the meeting.

The details of the committee's discussions are not disclosed. However, since the committee's role is to verify any disqualifications of the candidates in Minister Choo's personnel plan and to decide the overall direction of the personnel reshuffle, it is expected that there were no significant conflicts of opinion. Based on the committee's results, Minister Choo will submit the personnel plan to the President, and once approved by the President, the reshuffle will be implemented.

Typically, when the committee meets, the personnel results are announced on the same afternoon or at the latest the following day. However, in this case, since the procedure to hear Prosecutor General Yoon's opinion has not yet been completed, the announcement timing may vary.

Lee Chang-jae, Chairman of the Prosecution Personnel Committee, is entering the Ministry of Justice at the Government Complex Gwacheon in Gyeonggi on the 8th while answering questions from the press. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Ministry of Justice is reportedly conducting the procedure to hear Prosecutor General Yoon's opinion on the personnel matter simultaneously with the committee meeting. The Ministry requested the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for Yoon's opinion on the personnel plan earlier that morning. However, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office responded that they could not provide an opinion without receiving the personnel list and asked the Ministry to present the personnel plan and request opinions again.

Originally, the Ministry planned to send Prosecutor Jin Jae-sun, head of the prosecution division, to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in the morning to deliver the personnel list to Prosecutor General Yoon, but changed the plan and reportedly only sent a work communication requesting opinions on the personnel by 4 p.m. that day.

Some speculated that Minister Choo might skip the procedure of hearing Prosecutor General Yoon's opinion and proceed with the reshuffle forcibly, but the Ministry of Justice dismissed such speculation, stating that the procedure will be followed properly.

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is arriving at the Ministry of Justice in the Government Complex Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 8th, when the Prosecutor Personnel Committee is scheduled to take place. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Ministry of Justice sent a message to the press corps stating, "The Minister of Justice has notified Prosecutor General Yoon of the schedule to meet face-to-face and hear his direct opinion," and added, "Minister Choo has canceled other schedules and is proceeding with the personnel procedure until the submission."

The Ministry also clearly stated that Minister Choo contacted Prosecutor General Yoon to hear his opinion before the 11 a.m. meeting of the Prosecutor Personnel Committee that day. Minister Choo is expected to meet Prosecutor General Yoon soon to discuss opinions on the personnel plan and then submit the plan to the Blue House.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice is reportedly planning to fill eight vacant positions at the level of chief prosecutors or higher in this reshuffle. If new chief prosecutors and high prosecutors are promoted, a chain movement of chief prosecutors nationwide will be inevitable. The committee was initially scheduled to meet on the 6th but was postponed once due to members' schedules. Then, with the meeting between Minister Choo and Prosecutor General Yoon scheduled on the afternoon of the 7th, the committee meeting was reconfirmed.

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