From Special Investigations to Criminal and Trial Divisions... Shift of Focus Within the Prosecution Office

On the 13th, a New Figure Replaces the 'Yoon Seok-yeol Faction' Vacancy
Reduction of Direct Investigations... Reflecting the Prosecution Reform Policy

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The vacancy left by the 'Yoon Seok-yeol faction' will be filled with new figures on the 13th. Most of those who left were 'special investigation division' prosecutors, while the incoming prosecutors are mainly from the 'criminal and trial divisions.' The trial division is responsible for contesting the guilt or innocence of defendants in court. The criminal division investigates general civil complaint cases and brings suspects to trial. This is significantly different in nature from the special investigation division (currently the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division), which mainly conducts 'recognition investigations' into large-scale power-related corruption.

The fact that prosecutors from the criminal and trial divisions are taking key positions in the prosecution signifies a major organizational change. Eight months after Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's inauguration in July last year, the center of prosecutorial power has completely shifted from 'special investigations' to 'criminal and trial' divisions.

After his inauguration, Prosecutor General Yoon appointed special investigation division prosecutors such as Baek Seong-beom, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office; Park Chan-ho, Head of the Public Investigation Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office; Han Dong-hoon, Head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office; and Lee Won-seok, Head of the Planning and Coordination Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. These special division prosecutors were his close aides who worked closely with him during the investigations into the Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak administrations' deep-rooted corruption. This group is known as the so-called Yoon Seok-yeol faction.

Through the personnel reshuffle on the 8th, they were pushed to peripheral local posts. Their positions are now filled by Lee Seong-yoon, Director of the Prosecution Bureau at the Ministry of Justice; Bae Yong-won, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office; Shim Jae-cheol, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office; and Shim Woo-jung, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. The Ministry of Justice stated in the personnel announcement, "We have moved away from the previous personnel centered on specific departments and actively promoted excellent frontline prosecutors who had not been properly evaluated. We have favored prosecutors who have devoted themselves to the prosecution's core duties, such as criminal and trial work directly related to the public."

The Ministry of Justice's personnel policy aligns with the 'prosecutorial reform' that the current government regards as its top priority. Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk also emphasized reducing direct investigations by prosecutors and shifting the focus to the criminal and trial divisions. To this end, Cho Kuk engaged in 'dialogues with prosecutors,' resulting in a reform plan that downsized the special investigation division and centered on the criminal and trial divisions. The current Minister of Justice, Choo Mi-ae, appears to be realizing that vision. Furthermore, if the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Act and the investigation authority adjustment bill pass through the National Assembly, it is expected that the institutional foundation for such prosecutorial reforms will be established.

The Ministry of Justice is expected to maintain the focus on the criminal and trial divisions in future personnel appointments for mid-level and senior prosecutors, such as deputy chiefs and division chiefs. The emphasis will likely be on reducing the total volume of recognition investigations, focusing on civil cases, and concentrating on trials. In this scenario, Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol would be the only figure in key prosecutorial positions who could be considered a special investigation division prosecutor, creating an ambiguous situation. This is why some say, "Prosecutor General Yoon will have no one with whom he can comfortably share a meal." Consequently, some in the legal community interpret this personnel reshuffle as "aiming for two goals at once: prosecutorial reform and pressuring Yoon Seok-yeol to resign."

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