Ministry of Justice's Major Overhaul of Immigration Prosecution... A Turning Point for 'Regime Investigation'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice is set to carry out a major overhaul of the prosecution this week. Accordingly, the investigations targeting the administration by the prosecution are expected to reach a turning point this week.

According to legal circles, the Ministry of Justice will hold a Prosecution Personnel Committee meeting at 2 p.m. on the 20th. The committee will discuss promotions and transfers for senior prosecutors at the level of deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors. At 10 a.m. on the 21st, a revision of the "Regulations on the Organization of the Prosecutor's Office," which converts 13 direct investigation departments such as the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division and the Public Investigation Division into criminal and trial divisions, will be submitted to the Cabinet meeting. Once this procedure is completed, follow-up personnel changes in the prosecution are highly likely to occur as early as late afternoon on the 21st or by the 22nd at the latest.

Currently, the friction between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution does not appear to be as severe as expected. However, if a large number of prosecutors who have been investigating the Blue House and the ruling party are replaced in this personnel reshuffle, the possibility of collective backlash cannot be ruled out. From the prosecution’s perspective, this could deal a blow to ongoing investigations, following the complete overhaul of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office staff in the previous personnel changes.

If not only deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors but also key frontline personnel such as deputy chief prosecutors are replaced through promotions, the investigation teams will effectively be disbanded. Most of the prosecutors affected were appointed in August last year and have held their current positions for less than a year. However, once the organizational reform bill passes the Cabinet meeting, they will fall under an exception to the "Prosecutor Personnel Regulations," which sets the mandatory assignment period for senior prosecutors at one year, making them subject to personnel changes.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice recently prepared a revised organizational reform plan reflecting the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s opinion, maintaining dedicated functions and reflecting them in the names of two of the 13 direct investigation departments being converted into criminal and trial divisions. Notably, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office will be renamed the Public Official Crime Criminal Division. The Ministry of Justice is reportedly strongly considering keeping this division under the supervision of the third deputy chief prosecutor, who commands investigations of recognized cases such as the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division and the Fair Trade Investigation Division, as it is now.

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