Prosecutors Express Intent to Resign by Lee Moon-han and Kang Ji-sik... Organizational Restructuring and Mass Resignations Possible Amid Growing Backlash (Comprehensive)

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[Asia Economy Reporters Baek Kyunghwan, Kim Hyungmin] The aftermath of the high-level personnel changes in the prosecution is intensifying. Internal opposition is growing stronger, and with follow-up personnel changes and organizational restructuring imminent, the possibility of mass resignations among prosecutors is increasing.

According to the legal community on the 7th, Lee Munhan, acting head of planning at the Legal Research and Training Institute, expressed his intention to resign through the prosecution's internal network ‘Eprose’ on the same day. Known as a leading ‘public security expert’ within the prosecution, Lee was transferred to the Legal Research and Training Institute in September last year, stepping away from frontline investigations. When there was no change in the recent personnel reshuffle, he reportedly submitted his resignation. Kang Jisik, head of the litigation department at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, also posted a resignation message on Eprose on the same day.

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 coincides with a one-week grace period between personnel changes and appointments. The Ministry of Justice announced the personnel changes on the 4th, instructing the chief prosecutors who are changing posts to start work from the 11th. During this one-week interval, they have time to settle their affairs or contemplate their future positions. The legal community views this one-week period as highly unusual, considering that typically, prosecutors start working at their new posts 2-3 days after the personnel announcement.

The grace period was reportedly unavoidable. According to prosecution officials, 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 might face the absurd situation of being evaluated by newly assigned superiors abruptly. However, there is also an interpretation that the Ministry of Justice created this grace period as a strategic move 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 Seokyeol’s tenure. They are considered targets of horizontal or demotion-type personnel changes this time as well. These include Han Donghoon, appointed as deputy director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute; Lee Dubong, moving from Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office to Incheon District Prosecutors' Office; Park Chanho, appointed as Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office chief from Jeju District Prosecutors' Office; and Lee Wonseok, deputy chief prosecutor at Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, now Jeju District Prosecutors' Office chief. The future of Kang Namil, chief prosecutor at Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, and Yoon Daejin, deputy director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, both moving to the Legal Research and Training Institute, is also drawing attention.

There may also be those among mid-level executives who submit resignations early ahead of the upcoming personnel changes. Especially notable are Byun Pilgeon, head of the Criminal Division 1 at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, investigating the Blue House-originated planned inspection allegations, and Lee Jeongseop, head of the Criminal Division 3 at Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, who investigated the illegal departure ban case involving former Vice Minister Kim Hakui.

The Ministry of Justice, which shook the prosecution with high-level personnel changes, will process the organizational restructuring plan before mid-level personnel changes. The core of the plan is to restrict the prosecution’s direct investigations and impose requirements such as approval from the Prosecutor General or the Minister of Justice. The key issue is how much Minister Park Beomgye will reflect the prosecution’s opinions.

Minister Park is reportedly scheduled to meet Prosecutor General Kim Osu soon to discuss this. The organizational restructuring plan, promoted by presidential decree, is likely to be submitted to the Cabinet meeting soon. Since Minister Park has also expressed his intention to meet Prosecutor General Kim again, the meeting between the two leaders is expected to take place urgently.

The restructuring plan includes provisions that only dedicated departments in local prosecutors' offices can directly investigate six major crimes (corruption, public officials, economy, elections, major disasters, defense projects), and that general criminal divisions can initiate investigations only with approval from the Prosecutor General or the Minister of Justice.

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