'Resignation vs Direct Command'... Prosecutor General Yoon at a Crossroads

Unprecedented Level of Staff Overhaul
Analysis of Creating a 'Plant President'
Interest in Whether Yoon Will Announce Separate Position Plans

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The interim personnel reshuffle of prosecutors announced by the Ministry of Justice on the 23rd has further deepened the isolated predicament of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. Following the transfer of Yoon's closest aides, former Public Investigation Department Chief Park Chan-ho and former Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Department Chief Han Dong-hoon, to provincial offices, the replacement of the last remaining members of the 'Yoon Seok-yeol faction,' Shin Bong-soo, the 2nd Deputy Chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and Song Kyung-ho, the 3rd Deputy Chief, was decided. From Yoon's perspective, he has effectively lost not only his hands but also his feet. Attention is focused on whether Prosecutor General Yoon will separately announce his position.

After the high-level prosecutor personnel reshuffle on the 8th, Yoon conveyed to the Ministry of Justice a request not to include mid-level executives of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in the personnel changes. This request also implied a desire to postpone the transfer of the investigation teams currently handling the allegations of presidential office interference in the Ulsan mayoral election, the corruption allegations involving the Cho family, and the suspension of the investigation into Yoo Jae-soo. There was cautious speculation that the Ministry of Justice might incorporate Yoon's opinions to some extent in the personnel plan. However, Yoon's prior opinions were barely reflected in the personnel changes announced that day. Within legal circles, some even described it as "virtually ignored."

This is the second time that Yoon's voice has not been reflected in prosecutor personnel decisions. Previously, after his inauguration in July last year, Yoon recommended Kang Jin-gu, the Chief Secretary of the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, for the position of Secretary-General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. The Secretary-General is considered a key post overseeing administrative affairs, security, and accounting within the prosecution. All previous Prosecutor Generals have appointed close aides to this position. Kang was also regarded as a close aide of Yoon. However, the Ministry of Justice rejected Kang and appointed former Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Secretary-General Bok Doo-gyu instead. At that time, the Minister of Justice was former Minister Cho Kuk.

At that time, the legal community analyzed that the Ministry of Justice might have been attempting to check Prosecutor General Yoon through its personnel authority. It was also said that tensions between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution, which surfaced after investigations related to former Minister Cho Kuk, were beginning to emerge.

However, after Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae took office, the two rounds of personnel reshuffles are widely regarded as going beyond mere checks. The prevailing view is that there is a strong intention to reduce Yoon to a 'figurehead prosecutor general.' In fact, looking at precedents of past regular prosecutor personnel reshuffles, it is unprecedented for the Prosecutor General's aides to be dismissed all at once like this. Moreover, all the aides had served only about five months. According to legal experts, it is difficult to find a case where all of a Prosecutor General's aides have had such short tenures.

Having lost all his hands and feet, Prosecutor General Yoon is in a situation where he might seriously contemplate his future. There is speculation that, despite losing his aides, he might start to endure and 'directly command' the ongoing investigations into the current administration's misconduct. However, having lost the aides who would respond to 'direct command,' even this is proving difficult. A lawyer in Seocho-dong said, "Yoon's term is shorter than the current administration's term. The pressure will continue as he has lost all his close aides, and it seems it will be difficult for him to handle it alone." Yoon's term as Prosecutor General lasts until July 24, 2021.

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