Prosecutor Personnel Committee Meeting Today... "Hope for Stable Cooperation Between Ministry of Justice and Supreme Prosecutors' Office"
Deputy Prosecutor General Jo Nam-gwan is attending the Prosecutor Personnel Committee meeting held on the 22nd at the Ministry of Justice in the Government Complex Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, to review mid-level executive promotions and transfers. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] Cho Nam-gwan, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, stated ahead of the Prosecutor Personnel Committee, "We have strongly requested the maintenance of the current status of investigation teams handling important cases, as well as the positions of deputy chiefs at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Central District Prosecutors' Office."
On the 22nd, Deputy Cho met with reporters before attending the Prosecutor Personnel Committee held at the Ministry of Justice Government Gwacheon Complex and said, "I hope that there will no longer be conflicts between the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office regarding personnel matters and that a stable cooperative relationship will be restored."
He added, "The whole country is in turmoil due to the resignation scandal of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs that occurred during the personnel process for prosecutors at the chief prosecutor level," and explained, "The cause is understood to be that the opinion to replace the Central District Prosecutor General and deputy chiefs of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office during the coordination between the Minister and the Prosecutor General was not accepted." He further expressed regret, saying, "Regarding this personnel matter, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office requested a large-scale personnel reshuffle to normalize personnel, but the Ministry of Justice notified a principle of small-scale personnel changes to fill vacancies for organizational stability."
In particular, he indicated that the opinions of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's side should be reflected in this mid-level executive personnel reshuffle. Deputy Cho emphasized, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is currently strongly requesting to maintain the current status of investigation teams handling important ongoing cases and the deputy chiefs at the Central District Prosecutors' Office, while filling vacancies caused by resignations and refraining from arbitrary 'pinpoint personnel changes.'"
In fact, Prosecutor General Yoon is known to have strongly demanded the retention of Lee Sang-hyun, Chief of Criminal Division 5 at Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, who is investigating the alleged manipulation of the economic feasibility evaluation of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant, and Lee Jeong-seop, Chief of Criminal Division 3 at Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, who is investigating the illegal travel ban allegations against former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui. The 'pinpoint personnel changes' mentioned by Deputy Cho are expected to target Byun Pil-geon, Chief of Criminal Division 1, who has been in conflict over case handling with Lee Seong-yoon, Chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon. Inside and outside the prosecution, there is speculation that since Chief Lee has been retained, Chief Byun will be replaced.
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