Proposal for Organizational Restructuring Submitted to Cabinet Meeting... Key Issue is Reflecting Prosecutors' Opposition

Ministry of Justice to Send Comprehensive Plan to Ministry of the Interior After Completion
Choo Mi-ae's Firm Resolve, No Major Changes Expected
Prosecutor Personnel Committee Reviews Finalized Restructuring Plan

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Ministry of Justice began full-scale preparations on the 17th, the day after receiving opinions from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 'Prosecutor's Office Organizational Reform Plan,' to submit it to the Cabinet meeting. After completing a comprehensive plan, the Ministry of Justice will hand it over to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will review the organizational reform plan again and submit it to the Cabinet meeting, which is scheduled for the 21st. Excluding the two weekend days, there are only two days left to complete all these procedures in practice. A Ministry of Justice official said, "Although the time is tight, we will proceed according to the procedures."

It is uncertain how much of the prosecutors' opinions will be reflected in the final organizational reform plan that the Ministry of Justice will submit to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The organizational reform plan announced by the Ministry of Justice on the 13th centers on significantly reducing or abolishing direct investigation departments within the prosecution. On the 16th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office conveyed its opposition to the Ministry of Justice's organizational reform plan, expressing concerns that reducing direct investigation departments could weaken anti-corruption capabilities.

However, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's determination to enforce the original plan appears firm. At her first meeting with frontline prosecutors the previous day, Minister Choo emphasized, "Please focus your efforts on reducing direct investigations and concentrating more on investigating livelihood-related cases and maintaining prosecutions." Accordingly, the prevailing view is that the comprehensive plan will not undergo significant changes at this point. If the organizational reform plan is submitted to the Cabinet meeting as planned, the Ministry of Justice is expected to promptly proceed with mid-level prosecutor personnel appointments. The Ministry of Justice has already completed internal recruitment for key positions at the chief prosecutor level, which are subject to this personnel reshuffle.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Once the organizational reform plan is finalized, the Ministry of Justice will hold a Prosecutor Personnel Committee meeting to review it. Many expect the committee meeting to take place early next week. This expectation is based on the assumption that the organizational reform plan will be submitted to the Cabinet meeting and that mid-level personnel appointments will be swiftly executed. In this case, both the mid-level personnel appointments related to the organizational reform and the regular appointments of ordinary prosecutors will be completed before the Lunar New Year holidays. However, a Ministry of Justice official stated, "Nothing has been finalized regarding the timing or even the holding of the Personnel Committee meeting."

It is obvious that opposition inside and outside the prosecution will intensify throughout this process. After the Ministry of Justice announced the organizational reform plan, four mid-level prosecutors have consecutively submitted their resignations. Frontline prosecutors are also openly expressing dissatisfaction through internal bulletin boards. Following last week's chief prosecutor-level personnel reshuffle, which was criticized as tantamount to dismantling investigation teams, if a large-scale replacement of the regime investigation teams occurs in this mid-level personnel reshuffle, the level of opposition within the prosecution is expected to rise further.

Concerns from legal professionals outside the prosecution are also growing. On this day, 130 lawyers listed under the name 'Lawyers Concerned About the Regression of the Rule of Law in the Republic of Korea' issued a statement opposing the organizational reform plan promoted by the Ministry of Justice. In their statement, they criticized, "The replacement of most prosecutors in charge of investigating power-related corruption can only be seen as an attempt to obstruct investigations," and added, "The worst precedent has been set that could allow the next administration to cover up investigations into power-related corruption."

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