Kim Young-dae, Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Chief, and Yang Bu-nam, Busan High Prosecutors' Office Chief, Resign... Number of Vacancies at Prosecutor General Level and Above Rises to 8 Seats

Personnel Changes Expected Late This Month to Early Next Month
Lee Seong-yoon, Seoul Central District Prosecutor, Considered for Promotion to High Prosecutor
Attention on Appointment Locations of Prosecutors from Yoon Chief Prosecutor's Line and Those Investigating Current Government

On the 21st, Kim Young-dae, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (left), and Yang Bu-nam, Chief Prosecutor of Busan High Prosecutors' Office, tendered their resignations. / Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Busan High Prosecutors' Office websites.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] It was reported on the 22nd that Kim Young-dae, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (age 57, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 22), and Yang Bu-nam, Chief Prosecutor of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office (age 59, class 22), have expressed their intention to resign to the Ministry of Justice.

With the two high prosecutors, who are one class senior to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (age 60, class 23), deciding to retire voluntarily, the number of vacancies for senior officials at the level of chief prosecutor or higher has increased to eight.

According to legal circles, Cho Nam-gwan, Director of the Prosecutors' Office (age 55, class 24), received notice the day before from Chief Prosecutors Kim and Yang of their intention to submit their resignations.

Thus, the two, who were promoted to high prosecutors last July, will step down from their positions after one year.

With the resignation of the two high prosecutors, the vacancies for senior prosecutors at the level of chief prosecutor or higher have increased to eight, including the Chief Prosecutors of Seoul and Busan High Prosecutors' Offices, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, Deputy Chief Prosecutors of Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon High Prosecutors' Offices, and the Planning Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute.

Therefore, the scope of personnel reshuffling for senior prosecutors, scheduled for the end of this month or early next month, is inevitably expected to expand.

In prosecutorial circles, there is speculation that, as Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae has declared, this personnel reshuffle will see a large number of promotions from the Criminal Division rather than the traditional promotion track of the Special and Public Security Divisions.

Attention is also focused on whether Lee Sung-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (age 58, class 23), will be promoted to high prosecutor, and whether deputy prosecutors from the Central District Prosecutors' Office will be promoted to chief prosecutors.

Additionally, it will be a point of interest whether prosecutors classified as close aides of Prosecutor General Yoon will be sidelined to less influential positions following the previous reshuffle, and whether prosecutors involved in investigations related to the current administration will be demoted.

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