With 'Mass Prosecution Nomination Rumors'... Prosecutor Senior Hong Says "It Will Fail"

TK·PK Incumbent Lawmakers Face 'Purge' Threat
Concerns Over Backlash Amid Criticism of 'Prosecutor Republic'

One year ahead of the general election, rumors of a 'mass nomination of prosecutors' are emerging both inside and outside the ruling party. It is suggested that prosecutors close to the president are likely to receive nominations in large numbers, particularly in the TK (Daegu·Gyeongbuk) and PK (Busan·Gyeongnam) regions, where the People Power Party is strong.

The ongoing rumors about prosecutor nominations are closely related to the appointment of former prosecutors to key positions since the Yoon Seok-yeol administration began. Key figures involved in the election draft theory include Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Park Seong-geun, Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Bok-hyun, Director of Planning and Coordination at the National Intelligence Service Kim Nam-woo, and Vice Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission Jeong Seung-yoon?all of whom are former prosecutors. Jeong Soon-shin, former head of the National Investigation Headquarters, who caused a scandal over 'poor personnel verification' due to his son's school violence controversy, was also a former prosecutor.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo dismissed the prosecutor nomination rumors as "nonsense" and "unrealistic." At a press conference on the 11th, he warned, "They are already attacking us by calling it a prosecutor regime, but if many prosecutors come out, it will be a nationwide disaster."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Mayor Hong's sharp remarks reveal the local political community's sense of crisis over nominations. Hong is a representative prosecutor-turned-politician, known by the nickname 'Hourglass Prosecutor' who entered politics.

If former prosecutors are nominated by the ruling party, it is highly likely to be in the TK and PK regions. These areas are conservative strongholds where there is a joke that "just planting the People Power Party flag guarantees election." Because rookie politicians from conservative parties with low public recognition find it easier to win seats here, the presidential office and party leadership might nominate many former prosecutors in these regions.

If prosecutors close to the president receive nominations in the TK and PK regions, many incumbent lawmakers in these areas will inevitably be replaced. For Mayor Hong, who is aiming to become the regional powerhouse by serving as governor of Gyeongnam and then mayor of Daegu, this situation raises concerns about his political influence.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the joint meeting of party leaders, Supreme Council members, and senior lawmakers held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 12th. On the left is Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, as Mayor Hong pointed out, in a situation where criticisms such as 'prosecutor republic' and 'government's prosecutorization' are being raised, if a large number of former prosecutors are nominated again, there is a possibility of a backlash in next year's general election. The People Power Party leadership is trying to quell the controversy by stating that "rumors such as 'prosecutor nominations' circulating in the market are baseless."

On the 10th, People Power Party leader Kim Ki-hyun said, "It is impossible for dozens of people from a specific profession to be nominated en masse, and such a thing will not happen. As the party leader, I will not tolerate it." He emphasized, "There will be no discrimination based on factions during the nomination process, and there will be no unfair artificial replacement of candidates that causes grievances."

Kim also stated, "In the candidate qualification screening, we will carefully consider not only usual behavior and speech but also serious crimes, sex crimes, drug offenses, crimes related to children and adolescents, drunk driving, and stalking crimes as criteria for nomination screening. We will also thoroughly examine issues related to school violence and other problems involving candidates' children."

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