Ministry of Justice Announces Mid-Level Prosecutor and Ordinary Prosecutor Personnel Changes Today... Will 'Prosecutor-Media Collusion' and 'Samsung' Investigation Teams Be Replaced?

Criminal and Trial Divisions Likely to Continue Priority
Minimal Personnel Changes for Deputy and Chief Prosecutors
Attention on Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office 1st to 4th Deputy Chiefs Amid Organizational Restructuring
Interest Also on Changes in Major Case Investigation Command Line

On the 9th of last month, reporters were waiting for Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae in front of the Ministry of Justice in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. / Gwacheon = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The Ministry of Justice will carry out personnel appointments for mid-level prosecutors such as deputy chiefs and chief prosecutors, as well as ordinary prosecutors, on the 27th.

Attention is focused on the scope of this personnel reshuffle and the selection of key positions, which will reflect the recent amendments to the "Regulations on the Organization of the Prosecutor's Office" and the reorganization of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and frontline prosecutor's offices.

The Ministry of Justice plans to implement the appointments for mid-level prosecutors and ordinary prosecutors effective September 3.

The preference for experience in criminal and trial divisions is expected to continue in this personnel reshuffle as well.

The candidates for promotion to deputy chief are from the 29th to 30th Judicial Research and Training Institute classes, while the 34th and 35th classes will be promoted to chief prosecutor and deputy chief prosecutor for the first time, respectively.

Due to the organizational restructuring, four deputy chief prosecutor-level positions at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office?Investigation Information Policy Officer, Senior Research Officer of the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crimes Division, Public Investigation Policy Officer, and Forensic Investigation Planning Officer?have been abolished.

In particular, instead of the Investigation Information Policy Officer and two officers who served as the eyes and ears of the Prosecutor General, a single Investigation Information Officer will be appointed.

Instead, under the deputy chief prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, new positions of Human Rights Policy Officer and Criminal Policy Officer will be appointed.

Following the appointment of chief prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 7th, it is highly likely that key positions at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will be filled by individuals trusted by Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae or Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Sung-yoon, further isolating Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.

There is also interest in the appointments of deputy chiefs and chiefs at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which has undergone significant organizational restructuring.

According to the recent reorganization, direct investigation departments such as the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division under the 3rd Deputy Chief will move under the 4th Deputy Chief, and the Public Investigation Division, previously under the 2nd Deputy Chief, will move under the 3rd Deputy Chief.

Therefore, the biggest question is who will be appointed to the currently vacant 1st and 4th Deputy Chief positions. If the current 4th Deputy Chief Kim Wook-jun is not retained and moves to the 1st Deputy Chief position or transfers to another prosecutor's office as deputy chief, Kim Hyung-geun, head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1, is considered a strong candidate for successor.

Meanwhile, at the 'Prosecutor Personnel Committee' held on the 24th, the Ministry of Justice decided to retain the deputy chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and some branch chiefs considering investigation and trial situations, and to minimize personnel changes for chief prosecutors as much as possible by considering whether the mandatory minimum service period (one year) has been fulfilled. Accordingly, some department heads at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and investigation teams at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office are expected to be retained.

The appointments of deputy chiefs and chiefs who have led or directly conducted investigations into major cases are also key points to watch.

In the case of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, attention is on whether Jeong Jin-ung, head of the Criminal Division 1 investigating the 'media-prosecution collusion allegations'; Lee Bok-hyun, head of the Economic Crime Criminal Division investigating the 'Samsung merger allegations'; Kim Tae-eun, head of the Public Investigation Division 2 investigating the 'Blue House Ulsan mayor election interference allegations'; and Lee Jung-seop, head of the Criminal Division 6 investigating the 'Yoo Jae-soo inspection cover-up allegations' will be retained or transferred, and if transferred, where their next postings will be.

Additionally, the appointments of Cho Sang-won, head of the Criminal Division 6 at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office who investigated the 'Lime scandal'; Kim Kwan-jung, former head of the Criminal Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (currently head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office); and Park Young-jin, head of Criminal Division 1 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office who expressed opposing opinions to Prosecutor General Lee Sung-yoon in the 'media-prosecution collusion' case, are also drawing attention.

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