"Just Do the Tasks" - Enduring Yoon Seok-yeol Prosecution

Benefits Expected from Resignation Card
Calm and Composed Atmosphere on the Surface
Concerns Over Possible Additional Personnel Shake-up
Today, Blue House Search and Seizure

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Despite the unprecedented 'personnel storm,' the possibility of resignation among Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and other senior prosecutors appears very low.

According to the legal community on the 10th, the senior officials of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office who were transferred to provincial offices in this personnel reshuffle have expressed to those around them that "wherever we are, we just need to do our job." This is interpreted as a judgment that there is little benefit to be gained from playing the resignation card.

It is reported that the aides of Prosecutor General Yoon affected by this personnel action were unable to suppress their anger or sighed deeply, but outwardly, a quiet and calm atmosphere prevails. This analysis gains credibility as Prosecutor General Yoon is showing moves to strengthen internal unity within the prosecution, and others are following suit. Although there is a restrained atmosphere regarding expressing opinions, it is also reported that frontline prosecutors' opposition is quite strong. The Ministry of Justice plans to complete promotions and transfers of mid-level executives such as deputy chiefs and chiefs, as well as ordinary prosecutors, within this month, so depending on the outcome, the 'restrained anger' may explode outwardly.

Senior officials at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office may have chosen silence out of concern that they will face another storm in the follow-up personnel reshuffle. The follow-up personnel changes are also expected to be made drastically under the pretext of 'prosecutorial reform.' In this situation, mass resignations or collective actions by senior prosecutors could rather bring about another backlash, so it seems they judged that there would be no benefit.

On the other hand, there is also a view that this is an intentional 'holding out' to put pressure on the Blue House and the Ministry of Justice. Although the team of deputy chiefs who led investigations into the administration has been dismantled, there is a possibility that each will continue investigations in the provinces in some form. For example, if the Supreme Prosecutors' Office creates special units or special teams, they can bring desired personnel in a dispatch format to conduct investigations. Prosecutor General Yoon, appointed in July, has about 1 year and 7 months left in his term. If Prosecutor General Yoon, whose remaining term is longer than the period he has served, continues the current investigations without yielding to external pressure, the burden on the Blue House and others will increase.

In fact, the prosecution shows no signs of slowing down investigations targeting the administration. On the 9th, the day after the personnel reshuffle, the Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office conducted a search and seizure of the office of the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development, which is directly under the president, in connection with allegations of the Blue House and the Democratic Party's interference in the Ulsan local elections and ordered investigations. This was seen by some as the prosecution's response to the personnel changes.

Subsequently, on the morning of the 10th, the Balanced Development Secretary's Office of the Blue House was also searched. They sought to secure materials related to the public hospital and other pledges of Song Cheol-ho, the current mayor of Ulsan. This case has been led by Park Chan-ho, head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. The search and seizure on this day is expected to be the last one under his command. Park will move to become the chief prosecutor of Jeju District Prosecutors' Office on the 13th.

Additionally, the prosecution is accelerating investigations into the merger process of Samsung C&T Corporation and Cheil Industries. Following the summons of former Samsung C&T CEO Kim Shin on the 7th, former Samsung Future Strategy Office President Kim Jong-jung was also summoned on the 10th. The investigation into the Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries merger allegations is being overseen by Han Dong-hoon, head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, who was demoted to deputy chief of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office.

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