Second Meeting Possibly Today... High-Ranking Prosecutor Personnel Changes Likely Next Week
"Personnel Changes Will Consider Both Prosecutorial Reform and Organizational Stability"
One Step Back on Transferring 'Kim Hak-ui Illegal Departure' Case to Corruption Investigation Office
Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye (left) and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol met on the 1st at the Ministry of Justice in the Gwacheon Government Complex, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, exchanging congratulatory greetings and well wishes. / Photo by Ministry of Justice
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] It was reported on the 4th that Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye met with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol at an external location on the 2nd, the day after congratulating Yoon on his inauguration, to discuss personnel appointments for senior prosecutors.
Minister Park is expected to meet with Prosecutor General Yoon once more this week before carrying out the senior prosecutor personnel appointments next week.
On the day, the Ministry of Justice stated, “Minister Park officially met with Prosecutor General Yoon on the 2nd to hear his opinions regarding personnel matters, and plans to meet once more this week.”
The two reportedly met at a third location in Seoul, neither at the Government Complex Gwacheon where the Ministry of Justice is located nor at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, to discuss appointments for senior prosecutors at the level of chief prosecutors and above.
It was conveyed that the meeting was conducted in utmost secrecy to the extent that only a very small number of key officials, including Shim Jae-cheol, Director of the Prosecutor’s Office at the Ministry of Justice who oversees prosecutor personnel, were aware of the schedule within the Ministry of Justice.
Earlier, Minister Park had stated, “I will not just formally listen to Prosecutor General Yoon’s opinions regarding personnel,” adding, “While the interpretation of ‘listening to opinions’ may vary by person, I think I will meet at least twice.”
Minister Park is expected to hold a second meeting related to personnel with Prosecutor General Yoon as early as that day, gather Yoon’s opinions, finalize the senior prosecutor personnel plan, and announce it next week.
Prosecutor General Yoon reportedly recommended to Minister Park the replacement of Lee Seong-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, who did not follow his directives in investigations such as the ‘Channel A case,’ as well as Shim Jae-cheol, Director of the Prosecutor’s Office who sided with former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae during disciplinary procedures against Yoon and is classified as pro-government, Lee Jong-geun, Head of the Criminal Affairs Department at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and Shin Sung-sik, Head of the Anti-Corruption and Serious Crimes Department at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.
He also reportedly requested that some of the command lines at the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, which is investigating the ‘Kim Hak-ui illegal deportation’ case, and the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office, which is investigating the ‘Wolseong Unit 1 nuclear power plant’ case, be retained.
It is also believed that he proposed the reinstatement of Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, who was demoted to a research fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute after being implicated in the ‘media collusion’ controversy.
However, there is a prevailing view inside and outside the prosecution that Minister Park is unlikely to actively accept the opinions of Prosecutor General Yoon, whose term is less than six months remaining.
Recently, Minister Park expressed his intention to comply with the Prosecutors’ Office Act, which requires the Minister of Justice to hear the Prosecutor General’s opinion when recommending prosecutors’ appointments to the President, unlike his predecessor Minister Choo, but it is believed that this is only for opinion gathering, and key positions within the Ministry of Justice and prosecution are likely to be decided according to the Blue House or Minister Park’s own will.
Previously, Minister Park remarked, “Considering the legislative intent and operational practices of the Prosecutors’ Office Act, ‘listening to opinions’ is somewhat different from ‘consultation,’” implying that “opinions will be heard, but the decision-maker is myself.”
With sensitive investigations related to the current administration, including the Blue House, underway in the prosecution ahead of elections, the prevailing view is that ultimately, the authority must be entrusted to someone who can be reliably trusted.
Above all, if Chief Prosecutor Lee, who is evaluated to have lost control over his subordinates due to biased attitudes during the command of various major cases, is retained, it is unlikely that the uncomfortable relationship among the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which has persisted since former Minister Choo’s tenure, will be resolved.
Meanwhile, Minister Park appeared on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ that morning and stated his intention to consider two main pillars, ‘prosecutorial reform’ and ‘organizational stability,’ in personnel decisions.
Minister Park said, “I officially met Prosecutor General Yoon on the 2nd and exchanged opinions regarding personnel criteria,” adding, “The most important thing is the protection of human rights and due process at the investigation sites, so naturally, the personnel appointments should be for prosecutorial reform.”
He continued, “Another aspect is organizational stability, which seems to be strongly demanded within the prosecution, including by the Prosecutor General,” and added, “I do not think prosecutorial reform and organizational stability are contradictory, so I will consider these two major pillars as factors in personnel decisions.”
Regarding the possibility of replacing Chief Prosecutor Lee and Director Shim, who are the main focuses of interest in this personnel reshuffle, Minister Park avoided giving a direct answer.
Regarding questions about the transfer of the ‘Kim Hak-ui illegal deportation’ case to the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Division (PCC), Minister Park responded, “The prosecution is investigating, so I think the practical conditions are another matter,” showing a step back from his earlier stance expressed during the parliamentary confirmation hearing.
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