With the Prosecutor's Office Reorganization Preview, Even Kim Oh-soo Joins... Personnel Changes Also Expand

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] With Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, embarking on a major overhaul of the prosecution organization, attention is also focused on the expected prosecution personnel reshuffle next month. Even Kim Oh-soo, the nominee for Prosecutor General, mentioned the need for personnel restructuring, increasing the likelihood of a larger-scale reshuffle than usual.

According to the legal community on the 25th, the Ministry of Justice plans to collect opinions on the prosecution organization reform plan sent to local prosecutors' offices nationwide by the end of this month and then immediately begin discussions on prosecution personnel appointments.

Considering the Ministry of Justice's explanation that a reorganization is necessary due to legal amendments reducing the prosecution's direct investigations, a replacement of frontline criminal divisions is expected first. Currently, the plan under discussion includes merging the frontline offices' violent crime divisions into anti-corruption and violent crime divisions. In the case of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the Violent Crime Criminal Division is proposed to be changed to the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Investigation Cooperation Division, and the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 and 2 would be renamed as Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Investigation Division 1 and 2.

Notably mentioned are the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 3, which handled the 'Kim Hak-ui illegal deportation' case, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 1, which conducted the related 'Blue House planned investigation suspicion' case. Also, the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 5, handling the 'Wolseong Unit 1' nuclear power plant early shutdown suspicion, and the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 3, responsible for the Lee Sang-jik lawmaker's breach of trust and embezzlement case, are key personnel targets.

Other departments, aside from the six major crimes under the prosecution's direct investigation jurisdiction?corruption, public officials, economy, elections, etc.?may also be staffed with new personnel. These departments are also expected to take on roles such as requesting supplementary investigations and re-investigations of police cases.

If the nominee Kim passes the confirmation hearing, he is expected to take office by early next month at the latest, which also influences the prosecution personnel reshuffle. In a written response submitted to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee the day before, Kim answered a question about the 'plan for restructuring prosecution direct investigation personnel after the establishment of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HOCI)' by stating, "It seems necessary to appropriately reorganize personnel related to prosecution direct investigations in accordance with the implementation of new criminal laws such as the establishment of HOCI and adjustment of investigative authority."

Unlike his responses to questions evaluating the personnel appointments of former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae and Minister Park, where he said "not appropriate, please understand," Kim indirectly hinted at a large-scale prosecution personnel reshuffle by mentioning the necessity of organizational changes within the prosecution due to the adjustment of investigative authority.

Because of this, no discord is expected between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General regarding personnel appointments. The Ministry of Justice has already introduced a system that records discussions on personnel appointments between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General. Traditionally, the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General met outside, such as in restaurants, to discuss personnel matters before appointments. However, this practice sparked controversy over 'closed-door discussions' due to the opaque handling of official matters.

Minister Park has also announced a large-scale reshuffle. Early in his tenure, when asked by reporters whether he planned a large-scale reshuffle in the second half of the year after former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's term ended, he replied, "Of course." In fact, in the high-ranking prosecution personnel reshuffle conducted shortly after Minister Park's appointment, only four prosecutors at the level of senior prosecutors in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office changed positions.

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