Korean Bar Association: "Candidate for Head of Corruption Investigation Office to be Announced on the 9th... Shortlisting to be Completed by Weekend"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Korean Bar Association will officially announce the first candidate for the Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gongsoocheo) on the 9th.

On the 3rd, the Korean Bar Association stated, "We will complete the shortlist of candidates for the Gongsoocheo Chief by the weekend." They also emphasized, "We understand that political neutrality and independence are the most important factors in selecting the Gongsoocheo Chief, and we are doing our best."

The Korean Bar Association, the legal organization representing lawyers, has its president serving as a member of the candidate recommendation committee for the Gongsoocheo Chief. The recommendation committee consists of seven members: the Minister of Justice, the Chief of the Court Administration, the President of the Bar Association, and two members each recommended by the ruling and opposition parties.

The recommendation committee must have the approval of at least six members to recommend a candidate for the Gongsoocheo Chief to the President. Among the two candidates recommended by the committee, the President nominates one, and the appointment is finalized after a confirmation hearing.

The Gongsoocheo Chief must have at least 15 years of experience as a judge, prosecutor, or lawyer, and the retirement age is 65. For prosecutors, disqualification applies if less than three years have passed since retirement, and for public officials affiliated with the Presidential Secretariat, less than two years since retirement is a disqualification.

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