Park Ji-won "As Expected, Chu Mi-ae... Prosecution Personnel Changes Are Satisfying"

"'Choo Mi-ae is Choo Mi-ae' Conclusion Reached"
"Even Deputy and Chief Prosecutors in Moon Administration's Investigation Team May Not Be Sound"

Assemblyman Park Ji-won of the Alternative New Party praised Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's recent personnel reshuffle of senior prosecutors, saying, "As expected of Choo Mi-ae, she did it refreshingly well."
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Suwan] On the 8th, Park Jiwon, a member of the Alternative New Party, highly praised the high-ranking personnel reshuffle in the prosecution carried out by Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae, saying, "As expected from Chu Mi-ae, she did it refreshingly."

In an interview with TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' on the 9th, Park said, "I didn't expect it to this extent. All newspapers described it as a 'massacre' and said 'she cut off all the limbs,'" expressing his view.

Park continued, "I saw the duality of Minister Chu. In the past, even as the chairman of the Environment and Labor Committee of the Democratic Party, she locked the doors, blocked Democratic Party access, and passed bills with Liberty Korea Party members based on her convictions. On the other hand, I expected she might adjust things considering her future, but I ultimately concluded that 'Chu Mi-ae is Chu Mi-ae,'" he said.

Park analyzed, "If one or two people are removed, a butterfly effect occurs. Now, deputy chiefs will be promoted to chief prosecutors and will move on to become heads or chief prosecutors of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Since subsequent personnel changes will continue with deputies and chiefs, I believe the investigation line's deputies and chiefs will no longer be intact."

The Ministry of Justice held a Prosecutor Personnel Committee meeting on the 8th and carried out promotions and transfers for 32 senior prosecutors at the chief prosecutor level (equivalent to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office prosecutors) effective from the 13th.
/Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the internal prosecution opposition to this personnel reshuffle, he said, "There should be no prosecution turmoil," but added, "However, there will inevitably be changes in the lower ranks of the prosecution soon."

Park also predicted, "(Minister Chu) leaving three chief prosecutor positions vacant now is a brilliant choice," and said, "There are people left who will soon be promoted, so the prosecution will not strongly oppose it."

Earlier, the Ministry of Justice held a prosecution personnel committee meeting on the 8th and carried out promotions and transfers of 32 senior prosecutors (at the level of Supreme Prosecutors' Office prosecutors) effective from the 13th.

Lee Seong-yoon, director of the Ministry of Justice's Prosecution Bureau and an alumnus of Kyung Hee University like President Moon Jae-in, was appointed as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is leading the investigation into former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and the alleged interference in the Ulsan mayoral election.

Han Dong-hoon, head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division who led investigations into Cho's family corruption and allegations of White House cover-up, was transferred to deputy chief prosecutor of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office, and Park Chan-ho, head of the Public Investigation Division handling the White House election interference allegations, was transferred to chief prosecutor of the Jeju District Prosecutors' Office. In addition, all staff members of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office except the head of the Inspection Headquarters were replaced.

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