Prosecutors Implement 'Senior Executive Personnel Changes'... Song Kyung-ho Retained as Chief of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office

Suspicions of Daejang, Baekhyeon-dong, and Money Envelopes Reveal 'Investigation Willingness'
Head of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Shin Bong-su Replaced for 'North Korea Remittance Suspicion' Investigation

Senior personnel changes have been made in the prosecution. Shim Woo-jung, Chief Prosecutor of Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (26th Judicial Research and Training Institute class), was promoted to the position of Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (at the level of High Prosecutor), which had been vacant for over a year, while Song Kyung-ho, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (29th class), was retained.

On the 4th, the Ministry of Justice announced promotions and transfers of 40 prosecutors at the level of Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, effective from the 7th. The Ministry stated, "Considering work ability, past achievements, and leadership comprehensively, we newly appointed the best resources in various specialized fields such as criminal and trial, drugs and organized crime, public investigation, forensic investigation, planning, and inspection as prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office level."

Song, who is leading investigations into cases involving Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, including allegations of corruption in the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong development projects and the money envelope distribution scandal during the Democratic Party's national convention, was retained. Since ongoing investigations have not yet been concluded, this is interpreted as a strategic move to maintain the leadership without replacement to bring the investigations to a close.

On the other hand, the head of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, which is conducting investigations into allegations of Lee's lawyer fee payments and the Ssangbangwool Group's remittances to North Korea, was replaced by Shin Bong-soo, Head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (29th class). Hong Seung-wook, former Chief Prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (28th class), who led the investigation, was promoted to Chief Prosecutor of Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office. Shin, who has been leading nationwide special investigations at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and is well acquainted with cases related to Lee, was transferred to Suwon District Prosecutors' Office considering continuity of work.

Lee Joo-hyung, Chief Prosecutor of Suwon High Prosecutors' Office (25th class), was horizontally transferred to Chief Prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office; Noh Jeong-yeon, Chief Prosecutor of Busan High Prosecutors' Office (25th class), to Chief Prosecutor of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office; and Choi Kyung-gyu, Chief Prosecutor of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office (25th class), to Chief Prosecutor of Busan High Prosecutors' Office. Im Gwan-hyeok, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (26th class), was promoted to Chief Prosecutor of Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office.

Gu Sang-yeop, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), was promoted and appointed as Director of the Legal Affairs Office of the Ministry of Justice, assisting Minister Han Dong-hoon and handling national legal affairs including legislation, litigation, and international legal matters.

All aides assisting Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok were appointed from among those promoted to Chief Prosecutor. Sung Sang-heon, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), was appointed Head of the Planning and Coordination Department; Park Se-hyun, Head of the Criminal Department at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (29th class), as Head of the Criminal Department; Park Young-bin, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), as Head of the Drugs and Organized Crime Department; Park Ki-dong, Third Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), as Head of the Public Investigation Department; Jung Yu-mi, Chief of Cheonan Branch Office (30th class), as Head of the Trial and Litigation Department; and Park Hyun-jun, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Changwon District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), as Head of the Forensic Investigation Department.

Son Jun-sung, Head of the Litigation Department at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (29th class), who is involved in the first trial of the alleged report-for-hire scandal, was promoted to Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office. Lee Chang-soo, Chief of Seongnam Branch Office (30th class), who investigated allegations of illegal donations to Lee's Seongnam FC, was promoted to Chief Prosecutor of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office. Yang Seok-jo, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (29th class), was transferred to the position of Head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, which oversees nationwide special investigations.

The leadership of the Financial and Economic District Prosecutors' Offices was staffed with aides who assisted Prosecutor General Lee at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Hwang Byung-joo, Head of the Criminal Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (29th class), was appointed Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office; Kim Yoo-cheol, Head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (29th class), was appointed Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, a specialized prosecution office for financial and securities crimes. Additionally, Kim Seon-hwa, Head of the Trial and Litigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (30th class), was appointed Chief Prosecutor of Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office; Song Gang, Head of the Planning and Coordination Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (29th class), to Chief Prosecutor of Incheon District Prosecutors' Office; and Jung Jin-woo, Head of the Forensic Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (29th class), to Chief Prosecutor of Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office.

Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, which is conducting investigations related to the Itaewon tragedy, will be led by Lee Jin-dong, Chief Prosecutor of Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office (28th class). Park Jae-eok, Head of the Drugs and Organized Crime Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (29th class), known as a drug expert within the prosecution, was appointed Chief Prosecutor of Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office; Han Seok-ri, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (28th class), a criminal expert, was appointed Chief Prosecutor of Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office; Park Jong-geun, Chief Prosecutor of Busan District Prosecutors' Office (28th class), to Chief Prosecutor of Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office; and Noh Man-seok, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (29th class), to Chief Prosecutor of Jeju District Prosecutors' Office.

Byun Pil-geon, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), who led the report of no charges for Minister Han during the Channel A case investigation, was promoted to Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Suwon High Prosecutors' Office. Additionally, Lee Young-rim, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), was promoted to Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office; Lee Jong-hyuk, Chief of Ansan Branch Office (30th class), to Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office; and Lee Jin-soo, Chief of Busan Eastern Branch Office (29th class), to Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office, respectively.

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