'Gongantong' Prosecutor General Lee Moon-han Resigns Today... Will the Mass Resignation of Prosecutors Begin Amid 'High-Level Personnel Opposition'?

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The aftermath of the high-ranking personnel changes in the prosecution is intensifying. Internal opposition is growing, and with follow-up personnel changes and organizational restructuring imminent, the possibility of a wave of resignations among prosecutors is increasing.

According to the legal community on the 7th, Lee Moon-han, acting head of the Planning Department at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, expressed his intention to resign through the prosecution's internal network 'Epros' on the same day. Known as a leading 'public security expert' within the prosecution, Lee was transferred to the Judicial Research and Training Institute in September last year, stepping away from frontline investigations, and reportedly submitted his resignation after no changes were made in the recent personnel reshuffle.

Lee's resignation may be just the beginning. If multiple chief prosecutors submit their resignations consecutively, it is highly likely to occur within this week. This timing coincides with a one-week grace period between personnel appointments and assuming new posts. The Ministry of Justice announced the personnel changes on the 4th, instructing the chief prosecutors who are changing positions to start work from the 11th. During this one-week interval, they have time to settle their affairs or contemplate their future course.

The legal community views this one-week grace period as highly unusual, considering that traditionally, prosecutors start working at their new posts 2 to 3 days after personnel announcements.

The grace period was reportedly unavoidable. According to prosecution sources, prosecutors must submit a 'service evaluation' assessing their work performance by the 10th. The Ministry of Justice likely set the personnel appointments for the 11th in consideration of this. If the appointments were made earlier, frontline prosecutors would face the absurdity of being evaluated by newly assigned superiors who suddenly took office. However, there is also an interpretation that the Ministry of Justice created this grace period to buy time to accept resignations from those demoted and replace them with new personnel. The Ministry has not provided any separate explanation regarding the reason for the grace period.

Attention regarding future positions is focused on the chief prosecutors who investigated allegations involving regime figures during former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's tenure. These individuals are also considered targets of horizontal or demotion-type personnel changes this time. They include Han Dong-hoon, appointed as a research fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and former deputy director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute; Lee Doo-bong, moving from Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office chief to Incheon District Prosecutors' Office chief; Park Chan-ho, appointed as Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office chief from Jeju District Prosecutors' Office chief; and Lee Won-seok, appointed as Jeju District Prosecutors' Office chief from deputy chief prosecutor at Suwon High Prosecutors' Office. The future of Kang Nam-il, chief prosecutor at Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, and Yoon Dae-jin, deputy director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, who are moving to the Judicial Research and Training Institute, is also drawing attention.

Among mid-level executives who will soon face personnel changes, some may submit resignations early. Especially under scrutiny are Byun Pil-geon, head of the Criminal Division 1 at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, investigating the Blue House-originated planned inspection allegations, and Lee Jung-seop, head of the Criminal Division 3 at Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, who investigated the illegal travel ban case involving former Vice Minister Kim Hak-ui.

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