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

Yoon Seok-yeol Requests "Do Not Include Middle-Level Prosecutors in Personnel Changes" to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office

[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 prosecutors at the senior prosecutor level (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 involves converting 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, following the complete overhaul of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office staff in the last personnel change, consecutive disruptions could severely impact ongoing investigations.

If not only deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors but also deputy chief prosecutors, who are key frontline personnel, are changed through promotions or other means, 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, if the organizational reform bill passes the Cabinet meeting, they may be included in the personnel reshuffle as exceptions to the "Prosecutor Personnel Regulations," which set the mandatory assignment period for senior prosecutors at one year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Among these developments, attention is also focused on whether the Ministry of Justice will accept Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol’s opinions. According to multiple legal sources, Prosecutor General Yoon and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office reportedly conveyed to the Ministry of Justice a request not to include mid-level managers at the department head level in the personnel reshuffle. All mid-level managers at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office submitted their personnel opinions to the office between the 10th and 13th, and it is known that all expressed a desire to remain in their current positions without transfer. Given that senior executives at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office were extensively replaced in the last personnel reshuffle, there is concern that if mid-level managers also leave, ongoing investigations under Prosecutor General Yoon’s administration could be hindered.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice recently prepared a revised organizational reform plan reflecting the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s opinions, 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 currently oversees direct investigation divisions such as the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division and the Fair Trade Investigation Division, which handle recognized cases.

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