[News Figures] Who Is Kim Nam-woo, the Newly Appointed Director General of the National Intelligence Service's Policy Coordination Office?

Investigation Commanded on Alleged Absence of Former Minister Choo Mi-ae's Son from Leave
Left Prosecution for Kim & Chang Lawyer Role, Returns to Public Office After 2 Years

Namwoo Kim, former Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office.

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] Kim Nam-woo, former Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, is expected to be appointed as the successor to Cho Sang-jun, former Director of Planning and Coordination at the National Intelligence Service (NIS). If Kim is selected, it will mark consecutive appointments of former prosecutors to the position of Director of Planning and Coordination.

Born in Seoul in 1969, Kim began his career as a prosecutor in 1999 at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office after graduating from the 28th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. From 2011 to early 2013, he served as a senior administrative officer in the Blue House's Civil Affairs Office. He subsequently held key positions in the Ministry of Justice and prosecution, including Director of the Legal Affairs Division at the Ministry of Justice, Director of Investigation Command and Director of Policy Planning at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and Chief of the 1st Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

He has previously worked with President Yoon Seok-yeol at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. During the period when President Yoon was the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Kim served as Chief of the 1st Criminal Division and led investigations into cases such as allegations of interference in the prosecution's probe into recruitment corruption at Kangwon Land, allegations of covering up sexual violence within the prosecution, the Lee Myung-bak administration's National Human Rights Commission blacklist case, and defamation cases involving Liberty Korea Party lawmakers related to the May 18 Gwangju Uprising veterans.

In February 2020, he was appointed Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office and led the investigation into allegations of unauthorized leave by the son of former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. However, he left the prosecution in August of the same year. Some have interpreted his departure as being sidelined in promotion due to his leadership in investigations related to former Minister Choo, while others speculate it was a protest resignation against the organizational restructuring pushed by former Minister Choo, which was criticized as an effort to weaken the prosecution. Since then, he has worked as a lawyer at Kim & Chang law firm.

The Director of Planning and Coordination at the NIS oversees organizational management and budgeting and is considered the de facto second-in-command within the agency. On the 25th, former Director Cho Sang-jun tendered his resignation, which was immediately approved by the Presidential Office, leaving the position vacant. As Cho is known as a close associate of President Yoon's prosecution circle, various analyses such as 'personnel conflicts' have been suggested regarding his resignation, but the Presidential Office dismissed these, citing "personal reasons."

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