First Resignation of a Public Official Prosecutor Within a Year of Launch... "Will Be Accepted According to Procedure"

Government Gwacheon Complex, Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] A prosecutor at the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo), which was launched just over a year ago, has become the first to submit a letter of resignation.

With the Gong-su-cheo still unable to fill its full quota of prosecutors under the Gong-su-cheo Act, and Director Kim Jin-wook having repeatedly expressed difficulties in staffing, the consecutive resignations of investigators and prosecutors have created an appearance of instability within the organization.

According to the legal community on the 7th, Prosecutor Moon Hyung-seok (48, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 36) of the Gong-su-cheo Investigation Division 3 recently submitted his resignation due to personal reasons.

Prosecutor Moon was one of the 13 prosecutors appointed in April last year and is the only person at Gong-su-cheo with prior experience working at the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Immediately after his appointment, he served as the Investigation Planning Officer before transferring to Investigation Division 3 in the personnel reshuffle this February. Investigation Division 3 is currently handling cases such as the alleged obstruction of investigation into former Vice Minister Kim Hak-ui’s illegal travel ban and bribery allegations involving a Grade 3 official at the Board of Audit and Inspection.

It is known that Prosecutor Moon took annual leave on the day and did not come to work.

The Gong-su-cheo stated, "Prosecutor Moon of Investigation Division 3 recently submitted his resignation due to personal reasons, and it will be processed in accordance with procedures."

If Prosecutor Moon’s resignation is accepted, the number of prosecutors at Gong-su-cheo will decrease from 23 to 22. Under the Gong-su-cheo Act, the authorized number of prosecutors is 25. Earlier this year, four investigators also resigned, raising concerns that the still unsettled Gong-su-cheo organization may face further instability.

In particular, President Yoon Seok-youl, during his candidacy, identified Article 24, Paragraph 1 of the Gong-su-cheo Act?which grants Gong-su-cheo priority investigative authority over other investigative agencies for crimes committed by public officials?as a problematic clause and pledged to abolish it, placing Gong-su-cheo’s position in the current administration in a precarious situation in various respects.

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