Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office Nuclear Investigation Team Replaces 2 Members... Upcoming Senior Personnel Changes Likely Managed by Nominee Park Beom-gye
[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae has carried out personnel changes for prosecutors in the first half of 2021, including replacing two members of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office Nuclear Power Plant Investigation Team. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Economic Crime Division handling the Optimus case and the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 6 investigating the Lime case will remain unchanged.
On the 21st, the Ministry of Justice announced personnel changes effective February 1 for 542 prosecutors, including 11 prosecutors at the senior prosecutor level and 531 general prosecutors. The Ministry explained that this personnel reshuffle considered principles such as rotation of regional assignments, decentralized placement by local prosecutor's office jurisdiction, and restrictions on concentrated assignments in planning departments. In particular, evaluations and achievements from the field, such as outstanding prosecutors recommended by agency heads and exemplary prosecutors selected by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, were reflected in the personnel decisions.
A notable change is in the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office Nuclear Power Plant Investigation Team, which is handling the suspicion of manipulation of the economic feasibility evaluation of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1. Prosecutors Kim Hyung-won and Kim Soo-min, close aides of Chief Prosecutor Lee Sang-hyun, were transferred to the Seongnam Branch and Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, respectively.
Prosecutor Lee Kyu-won, who was involved in procedural illegality controversies during the travel ban on former Vice Minister Kim Hak-ui, was dispatched to the Fair Trade Commission in September last year and was not included in this personnel reshuffle.
The Optimus and Lime investigation teams will maintain their current structure. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Economic Crime Division and the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 6, which are handling the Optimus and Lime cases respectively, will be able to keep their investigative personnel intact. However, there is a possibility that the leadership may change in upcoming senior-level personnel appointments.
Additionally, the Ministry of Justice appointed outstanding female prosecutors to key positions in the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and external organizations. Those appointed include Kim Bong-kyung (40th class) to the Ministry of Justice Prosecutors' Division, Kim Soo-min (37th class) as a research prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and Kim Ji-eon (36th class) as a legal cooperation officer at the Embassy of the Netherlands. The Ministry explained that they broadly applied legislated personnel systems such as long-term service for childbirth and childcare, long-term service within the same high prosecutor's office jurisdiction, and long-term service at key prosecutor's offices. Even in cases not covered by these systems, requests for specific desired locations due to illness or childcare were actively reflected in personnel decisions.
A Ministry of Justice official stated, "We have balanced the placement of outstanding prosecutors who have worked at the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office across prosecutor's offices nationwide to strengthen the operational capabilities of frontline offices." He added, "The timing for assigning new prosecutors, who are subject to training after appointment, was adjusted from early March to the first half of February's regular personnel reshuffle to increase the actual working personnel at each office."
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