Prosecutor Personnel Committee Meeting Today... Focus on Whether Major Case Investigation Teams Will Be Replaced

Attention on the Scope of Leadership Changes at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office
Interest in Whether Investigation Teams for 'Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant' and 'Kim Hak-ui Departure Ban' Cases Will Be Replaced

(From left) Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice; Shin Hyun-soo, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House; Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The Prosecutor Personnel Committee will be held on the 22nd for the appointment of mid-level prosecutors such as deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors.

Amid controversy over the ‘passing over’ in the appointment of senior prosecutors, Shin Hyun-soo, the senior secretary for civil affairs at the Blue House, has expressed his intention to resign. Attention is focused on how much Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye, who has stated that he will strengthen communication between Shin and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, will reflect their opinions in this personnel appointment.

The Ministry of Justice will hold the Prosecutor Personnel Committee at the Government Complex Gwacheon from 10 a.m. to discuss the promotion and transfer plans for mid-level prosecutors and ordinary prosecutors.

Unlike last time, the Ministry of Justice sent the mid-level prosecutor personnel plan to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in advance to receive review opinions and went through prior consultation procedures, so the personnel appointment is expected to be carried out as early as this afternoon or within 2 to 3 days at the latest.

However, the status of Senior Secretary Shin, who returns from leave on the day, remains a variable.

If the Blue House or Minister Park succeeded in changing Shin’s mind over the weekend, Shin would resume his role as a mediator between Minister Park and Prosecutor General Yoon, but it is known that Shin’s intention to resign is strong, so the possibility is low.

Shin is expected to go to the Blue House in the morning and announce his final position on his status.

Earlier, Minister Park, who was embroiled in controversy over ‘passing over’ Shin and Prosecutor General Yoon by retaining Lee Seong-yoon as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and promoting Shim Jae-cheol, director of the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecutor’s Office, to head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in the senior personnel appointment, had stated last week that he would strengthen communication with the two.

He also stated that the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office staff have been making efforts for practical communication by exchanging visits and dialogues.

The most watched point in this mid-level personnel appointment is whether prosecutors trusted by Chief Lee will be assigned to the 1st to 4th deputy chief prosecutors or key investigative departments within the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Among the candidates to succeed Kim Wook-jun, the 1st deputy chief prosecutor who expressed his intention to resign after showing differences with Chief Lee during the disciplinary request process against Prosecutor General Yoon, are Moon Seong-in, 1st deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office from Wando, Jeonnam (28th Judicial Research and Training Institute class), Kim Hyung-geun, deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office from Seoul (29th class), and Kim Yang-su, deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office from Iksan, Jeonbuk (29th class). All three are evaluated to have been well managed in their positions and have rich experience in special investigations.

Deputy Chief Moon served as head of the Financial Investigation Division 1 and head of the Securities Crime Joint Investigation Team at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, as well as head of the Human Rights and Advanced Crime Division at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office. Deputy Chief Kim Hyung-geun served as a researcher at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s Special Investigation Department, head of the special divisions at the Busan and Incheon District Prosecutors' Offices, director of the investigation command division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 at the Central District Prosecutors' Office. Deputy Chief Kim Yang-su also served as a researcher at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s Special Investigation Department, head of the Investigation Division 2 at the Central District Prosecutors' Office, and practical head of the investigation team for the Kangwon Land recruitment corruption case.

It is widely expected that Byun Pil-geon, head of the Criminal Division 1, who opposed Chief Lee over the ‘Channel A coercion attempt’ case related to Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon’s dismissal without indictment, and Choi Seong-pil, the 2nd deputy chief prosecutor who also gave a non-indictment opinion, will be replaced.

In line with this, attention is also focused on whether Park Eun-jung, the Ministry of Justice’s inspection officer who played the role of bodyguard for former Minister Chu Mi-ae during the disciplinary and inspection request process against Prosecutor General Yoon last year, or Kim Tae-hoon, director of the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecutor Division, will be promoted, or whether Jeong Tae-won, head of the Inspection Division 3 and special inspection team leader who voiced opposition, or Im Seung-cheol, head of Inspection Division 1, will be demoted.

The final point of interest is whether Lee Sang-hyun, head of the Criminal Division 5 at the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, who requested an arrest warrant for former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu in the ‘Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Economic Feasibility Manipulation’ case, and Lee Jeong-seop, head of the Criminal Division 3 at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, who is investigating Deputy Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu and Chief Lee regarding the ‘illegal departure ban’ case involving former Deputy Minister Kim Hak-eui, will be retained and continue their investigations.

Replacing chief prosecutors during ongoing investigations could cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so retention is highly likely. However, since the Blue House is reportedly dissatisfied with the current investigation team’s intensity, the possibility of replacing chiefs at the team leader level cannot be ruled out.

Prosecutor General Yoon is also known to have requested the Ministry of Justice to retain these key investigation teams and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s working staff.

Since the previous senior personnel appointment was minor and there are few factors for follow-up appointments, and a large-scale reshuffle is inevitable after Prosecutor General Yoon’s retirement in July, this mid-level personnel appointment is also expected to have a limited scope.

Minister Park emphasized continuity of work and organizational stability when he made the minor senior personnel appointment last time.

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