<기사>Prosecutor in charge of 'Accusation Solicitation Suspicion' at the Corruption Investigation Office submits resignation... Expresses intention to resign every month (Comprehensive)

Jinwook Kim's 'Lack of Leadership' Likely to Increase Prosecutor Defections... Additional Staffing Also Stalled
Legal Community "Widespread Perception That Corruption Investigation Office Prosecutors Only Sort Complaints and Do Nothing Else"

Kim Jin-wook, the head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency, unveiled the new CI at the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (Gong-su-cheo) in the Government Complex Gwacheon on the 18th of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] A prosecutor who was in charge of the ‘alleged report-for-hire scandal’ at the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Unit (Gong-su-cheo) has expressed his intention to resign. Since June of this year, prosecutors have been resigning every month, raising criticism that there may be problems in the organization’s operation.

According to the legal community on the 20th, Prosecutor Lee Seung-gyu (Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 37), belonging to the Investigation Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Lee Dae-hwan) of Gong-su-cheo, recently announced his intention to resign. Prosecutor Lee, a former lawyer, has been working at Gong-su-cheo since April last year, shortly after its establishment.

In June, Prosecutor Moon Hyung-seok (Class 36) and in July, Prosecutor Kim Seung-hyun (Class 42) consecutively submitted their resignations. Last month, Chief Prosecutor Choi Seok-gyu, who led investigations into the ‘Lee Sung-yoon indictment leak’ allegation, the ‘Kim Hak-ui illegal departure ban investigation cover-up’ allegation, and the ‘Audit Board executive bribery’ allegation, also expressed his intention to resign. However, Chief Prosecutor Choi decided to remain at Gong-su-cheo after being persuaded by the leadership.

Inside and outside the legal community, there is an analysis that the reason prosecutors are leaving Gong-su-cheo one after another is because Gong-su-cheo Chief Kim Jin-wook is unable to maintain stability and is swayed by political circles, failing to perform his proper role.

Chief Kim’s tendency to only watch the reactions of both ruling and opposition parties while handling cases, and the fact that Gong-su-cheo, contrary to its founding purpose, is struggling with report cases that are essentially at the level of raising suspicions rather than investigating high-ranking officials’ misconduct crimes, are also fueling the departure of prosecutors.

Gong-su-cheo is recruiting additional chief prosecutors and ordinary prosecutors to fill the leaked personnel, but it is reported that suitable candidates are hard to find.

On the 18th of last month, Chief Kim unveiled a new CI (Corporate Identity) and the slogan “Serving the People, Upholding Justice, Writing a New Integrity,” stating, “It is fair to say that this is the day Gong-su-cheo starts anew,” but having failed to revitalize the atmosphere, the crisis is expected to continue.

A lawyer, former chief prosecutor A, said, “In the early days of Gong-su-cheo’s establishment, lawyers showed great interest in Gong-su-cheo,” adding, “Now, there is a prevailing atmosphere that if you go to Gong-su-cheo, you won’t gain investigative experience but will just end up sorting through complaints.”

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