Will Choo Wield the 'Sword' Against Yoon Seok-yeol's Faction?

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@

[Asia Economy reporters Seongpil Cho and Seungyoon Song] Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's decision to carry out personnel changes among senior prosecutors just one week after taking office reflects her intention to seize control of the prosecution by exercising her personnel authority. It also signifies her choice to use personnel appointments as the first signal of prosecutorial reform. On the 3rd, Minister Choo emphasized the necessity of prosecutorial reform and the voluntary participation of prosecutors in reform as her inaugural statement. This suggests that the upcoming personnel changes will embody a strong will to revamp the organization.

In her first personnel reshuffle since assuming office, Minister Choo is expected to take a 'scalpel' to the Yoon Seok-yeol faction. Given that she has recently publicly expressed concerns about prosecutorial investigations, the personnel changes are anticipated to curb the momentum of ongoing investigations. A key point of interest is whether Han Dong-hoon, head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and Park Chan-ho, head of the Public Investigation Division, both considered the right and left arms of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, will be transferred. They have jointly led 'deep-rooted evils investigations' since Yoon served as the head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office. After allegations against former Justice Minister Cho Kuk surfaced, they elevated the investigations under Yoon's orders to target the current administration.

The Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division, led by Han, is overseeing the investigation into the corruption of former Minister Cho's family and the suspension of the inspection of former Busan Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo. Park's Public Investigation Division is handling the Blue House's ordered investigations and the Ulsan mayoral election interference case. Should these two be removed in the upcoming personnel changes, disruptions to these investigations are inevitable.

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is heading to the cafeteria for lunch on the 6th at the main building of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Within legal circles, there is talk that they might be 'demoted promotions' to high prosecutors' offices or horizontally transferred as provincial prosecutors. Currently, eight positions at the level of chief prosecutors or higher are vacant, including chief prosecutors in Daejeon, Daegu, and Gwangju, deputy chief prosecutors in Busan and Suwon, and the planning director at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, providing ample room for their reassignment. On the other hand, if Minister Choo replaces the practical investigation teams, she may face internal and external backlash from the prosecution, so some predict only minor changes. Due to these circumstances, there is speculation that Minister Choo might avoid major changes at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and instead promote Bae Seong-beom, head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, and Cho Nam-gwan, head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, who oversee practical investigations, as a way to check Prosecutor General Yoon. In this case, Shin Bong-soo, second deputy head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, Song Kyung-ho, third deputy head, and Hong Seung-wook, deputy head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, are also likely to be transferred or promoted together.

Following these personnel changes, a series of appointments along the practical investigation line is expected. From investigation commanders to division chiefs, deputy chiefs, and ordinary prosecutors, a complete overhaul could occur, potentially leading to a sweeping personnel reshuffle that changes the internal landscape of the prosecution.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice held a meeting at the Government Complex Gwacheon from 11 a.m. on the 8th, discussing for over two hours the personnel promotion and transfer plan for senior prosecutors submitted by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae.

The details of the Personnel Committee's discussion were not disclosed. However, since the committee's role is to verify any disqualifications among the candidates in Minister Choo's personnel plan and decide the overall direction of the appointments, it is expected that there were no significant conflicts. Based on the committee's results, Minister Choo will submit the personnel plan to the President, who will approve it, after which the personnel changes will be implemented.

Typically, when the Personnel Committee convenes, the results are announced either the same afternoon or at the latest the following day. The results of this personnel reshuffle are expected to be announced as early as late afternoon on the same day or by the 9th at the latest.

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