[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Ministry of Justice is set to carry out a personnel reshuffle of senior prosecutors at the level of chief prosecutors or higher as early as the 6th. This will be the second regular personnel reshuffle since Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae took office. The biggest point of interest is the transfer of the investigation team handling the 'alleged collusion between prosecutors and media,' including Lee Seong-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (age 58, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 23). The personnel moves involving prosecutors from the 'special investigation division,' who are close aides of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, are also a key focus.
According to legal circles, the Ministry of Justice will hold a Prosecutor Personnel Committee meeting at the Government Complex Gwacheon in the afternoon to discuss promotions and transfers of senior prosecutors. Based on precedent where results were announced on the same afternoon or the following day after the committee meeting, the personnel reshuffle is expected to be implemented as early as the afternoon of the 6th or the morning of the 7th.
This reshuffle is expected to see promotions to chief prosecutor for Judicial Research and Training Institute classes 27 and 28. In the previous reshuffle in January, five prosecutors from classes 26 (3 people) and 27 (2 people) were newly promoted to chief prosecutor.
Currently, among the 46 positions at the level of chief prosecutor or higher, 11 seats are vacant, including the chief prosecutors of the Seoul and Busan High Prosecutors' Offices, chief prosecutors of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office and Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, head of the Human Rights Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, deputy chief prosecutors of the Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju, and Busan High Prosecutors' Offices, and the planning director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. However, some positions such as deputy chief prosecutors at high prosecutors' offices are likely to remain vacant. In the January reshuffle, the Ministry of Justice kept the deputy chief prosecutor positions at the Daejeon, Daegu, and Gwangju High Prosecutors' Offices vacant, considering the need for restructuring of high prosecutors' functions and the abolition of the chief prosecutor rank.
The biggest point of interest is undoubtedly the status of Chief Prosecutor Lee. Whether Lee will be promoted to high prosecutor or remain as chief prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors' Office will determine the overall structure of the reshuffle. Lee, classified as a representative pro-government figure within the prosecution, recently conducted the investigation into the 'alleged collusion between prosecutors and media' in line with Minister Choo's intentions. This was the background for expectations that Lee and the investigation team would be the biggest beneficiaries of the personnel reshuffle. However, recent controversies during the investigation targeting Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon and the failure to prove conspiracy have emerged as variables.
The personnel moves involving Prosecutor General Yoon's close aides are also a point to watch. Minister Choo is expected to continue favoring prosecutors from the criminal and trial divisions in this reshuffle as well. Because of this, it is unlikely that prosecutors from the 'special investigation division,' who are close aides of Prosecutor General Yoon, will be appointed to key positions. Therefore, following the personnel reshuffle earlier this year, Yoon's influence is likely to be further diminished.
Additionally, there is interest in whether the fourth female chief prosecutor in history will be appointed. Following former Eastern District Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor Cho Hee-jin and former planning director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute Lee Young-joo, the only female chief prosecutor currently in the prosecution is No Jeong-yeon, Chief Prosecutor of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office.
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