‘Prosecutor Personnel Committee and Organizational Restructuring’... Large-Scale Senior Executive Personnel Changes Expected

Up to 12 Chief Prosecutor Positions... Chain Transfers Including 'Promotion to High Prosecutor Chief and Demotion to Research Committee Member'
Mass Promotions Expected for 'Training Institute Classes 28 and 29'... Mid-Level Executive Personnel Changes to Follow Chief Prosecutor Appointments

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] The Ministry of Justice will hold a Prosecutor Personnel Committee meeting on the 21st to discuss promotions and transfers for mid-level and higher prosecutors. Following the committee, it is expected that appointments for frontline high prosecutors and district prosecutors will be made either on the same day or on the 22nd.

Inside and outside the prosecution, there is speculation that the personnel reshuffle will be extensive, as it is the first regular personnel change since the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. With the organizational restructuring linked to the appointments of chief prosecutors passing the Cabinet meeting this morning, the number of chief prosecutor positions is expected to increase to as many as 12.

At the Cabinet meeting, the partial amendment ordinance of the “Enforcement Rules of the Organization of the Ministry of Justice and Its Affiliated Agencies” and the amendment to the “Regulations on the Organization of the Prosecutor's Office” were approved. Due to the organizational restructuring, the number of research committee members at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, classified as low-ranking positions, increased by five, totaling nine seats.

Unlike the existing regulation, which limited the four research committee seats to be filled by prosecutors belonging to the Senior Executive Service or general public officials or prosecutors, the additional five seats do not specify rank separately, so it is expected that all will be filled by incumbent chief prosecutors.

In the high-level personnel appointments to be made after the committee, the number of chief prosecutor positions will significantly increase due to promotions to high prosecutors and the resulting chain transfers, and it is anticipated that many executives from the 28th to 29th Judicial Research and Training Institute classes will be promoted. On the previous day, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon stated, “The Minister of Justice has changed, and the Prosecutor General must also change,” adding, “Since many positions will be vacant, a large-scale personnel reshuffle will take place,” signaling a major reshuffle.

Additionally, the amendment to the regulations on the organization of the Prosecutor's Office mainly involves reorganizing the specialized investigation departments, which were changed to general criminal and trial departments during the Moon Jae-in administration, back into specialized investigation departments. This is related to the appointments of deputy and chief prosecutors.

In particular, by removing the restriction that investigations in the lowest-ranking criminal departments of local prosecutors' offices and branch offices can only be initiated with the approval of the Prosecutor General, the personnel policy of assigning those called ‘aces’ in each class to the lowest-ranking criminal department chief positions is expected to be revived.

Mid-level personnel appointments are expected to follow the usual practice of being made about one to two weeks after the chief prosecutor appointments, considering circumstances such as work handovers.

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