Over 40 Former Prosecutors Declare Candidacy for General Election... 'Second Act' Challenge Striking Bills Instead of Warrants

Published 15 Jan.2024 15:53(KST)

The legal community is experiencing a strong wave of candidates running for the National Assembly. More than 40 former and current prosecutors are running in the general election. Prosecutors who want to draft bills instead of warrants are forming an all-out front regardless of party or seniority.

[Photo by Beopryul Newspaper]

Yoon Seok-yeol's Shield and Lee Jae-myung's Bodyguards Spark 'Special Treatment Controversy'

The party affiliations of prosecutor-turned candidates are closely related to the administrations under which they rose to prominence. Close aides of President Yoon Seok-yeol and Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, are running in the general election. The public perception of them is not entirely favorable. Analysts say that premature special treatment through strategic nominations could shake up the election landscape.

Lee Seong-yoon (62, 23rd class), a 'pro-Moon Jae-in' figure who served as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office during the Moon Jae-in administration, resigned and held a book launch event. There are rumors of a strategic nomination in Jeonju-eul.

Park Gyun-taek (58, 21st class), former head of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, is targeting Gwangsan-gu Gap in Gwangju. He served as a legal special advisor to Lee Jae-myung and is considered a close aide. He led the defense in the Daejang-dong development special favor allegations. Yang Bu-nam (63, 22nd class), former head of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, is aiming for Seo-gu Eul in Gwangju. He entered politics as the head of Lee's legal support team. Since 2021, he has served as the Democratic Party's legal committee chairman and is known as Lee Jae-myung's bodyguard.

Joo Jin-woo (49, 31st class), legal secretary and a key aide to President Yoon, and Lee Won-mo (44, 37th class), personnel secretary, also left the presidential office to run in the general election. Joo, who served as chief prosecutor at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, has been with President Yoon since the early days of his political involvement and handled important tasks such as personnel screening for the transition team. He is likely to run in Busan. Lee, who became the son-in-law of Shin Joon-sik, director of Jaseng Korean Medicine Hospital, through President Yoon's matchmaking, is expected to run in Gangnam. He served as a prosecutor at the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office and has been a close aide since President Yoon's inauguration. Their candidacies have drawn criticism of 'special treatment for presidential office aides.' A ruling party official said, "If prosecutor-born silver spoon aides take prime constituencies, it could unsettle ordinary party members who have cultivated local strongholds. Public resentment against prosecutors is also a challenge that prosecutor candidates must address."

[Photo by Beopryul Newspaper]

OBs and YBs Line Up to Run

Seok Dong-hyun (64, 15th class), former head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office and former secretary-general of the National Unification Advisory Council, also submitted his resignation to run in the general election. He ran in Haeundae, Busan, in the 21st general election but is now challenging Seoul Songpa-gu, the constituency of his wife, former lawmaker Park Young-ah. He is known as a 40-year close friend of President Yoon. Park Seong-geun, former chief of staff to the Prime Minister during the Yoon administration, is running in Jung-gu Yeongdo-gu, Busan. Park Min-sik (58, 25th class), former Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, is preparing to run in Yeongdeungpo Eul, Seoul. Won Hee-ryong (60, 24th class), former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is weighing a run in Incheon Gyeyang-eul, Lee Jae-myung's constituency. Kim Jin-mo (58, 19th class), former head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, is challenging Cheongju Seowon-gu, Chungbuk. Yoon Gap-geun (60, 19th class), former chief prosecutor of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, is a preliminary candidate for Cheongju Sangdang-gu, Chungbuk. Yoon was tried over the Lime Fund lobbying allegations but was recently acquitted by the Supreme Court. The moves of incumbent lawmakers with prosecutorial backgrounds who have already established themselves in Yeouido are also attracting attention. Among the 21st National Assembly members, 15 are former prosecutors. Excluding those who have declared they will not run or who face indictments or trials, 11 are likely to run.

According to the Democratic Party's Candidate Verification Committee, lawmakers Joo Cheol-hyun (65, 15th class), Jo Eung-cheon (62, 18th class), Kim Hoe-jae (62, 20th class), and Song Ki-heon (61, 18th class) have passed screening. Joo, a former head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's violent crimes division, is running in Yeosu-si Gap, Jeonnam; Kim, former chief of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office, in Yeosu-si Eul, Jeonnam; and Song, a former prosecutor at the Busan District Prosecutors' Office, in Wonju-si Eul, Gangwon. Song is one of the 'pro-Moon Jae-in' figures. He served as the head of the legal advisory team for former President Moon Jae-in's campaign and chaired the Democratic Party's legal committee. If he wins this election, he will become a three-term lawmaker.

Jo Eung-cheon, a former head of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office public security division and a representative of the anti-Lee Jae-myung faction, left the Democratic Party. He met privately with former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon to discuss forming a new party. Jo was also the last external figure personally recruited by former President Moon Jae-in.

Four-term lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong (64, 17th class), former chief prosecutor of Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office, officially declared his candidacy in his constituency, Gangneung. Classified as an 'original pro-Yoon,' Kwon served as the general support headquarters chief for President Yoon's presidential campaign. Kwon Young-se (65, 15th class), former Minister of Unification who served as deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office, left the cabinet to run in the general election.

Lawmakers Jeong Jeom-sik (59, 20th class), former head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office public security division; Yoo Sang-beom (58, 21st class), former deputy chief prosecutor of Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office; Park Hyung-soo (59, 22nd class), former prosecutor at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office; and Kim Do-eup (60, 25th class), former head of the foreign affairs division at Busan District Prosecutors' Office, have also declared their candidacies.

There are also candidates running while still holding the status of 'active prosecutors.' Kim Sang-min (46, 35th class), a prosecutor at Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, registered as a preliminary candidate for Uichang-gu, Changwon-si, upon joining the People Power Party. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office filed a request for severe disciplinary action with the Ministry of Justice on the 12th regarding his holding a book launch event and announcing his candidacy while still an active prosecutor, which is expected to become a variable.