(From left) Na Byung-hoon, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, transferred as the First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office effective the 26th; Lee Jin-soo, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office, transferred as the Second Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office; and Lim Eun-jung, Inspection Research Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, concurrently serving as a prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. / Photo by Legal News Legal Professionals Directory
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] On the 22nd, the Ministry of Justice carried out a minor mid-level executive personnel reshuffle, transferring 18 prosecutors at the senior prosecutor level.
The heads of investigation teams for the 'Channel A Coercion Attempt,' 'Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Economic Feasibility Evaluation Manipulation,' and 'Kim Hak-eui Illegal Departure Ban' cases, whose replacement was highly anticipated, all retained their positions.
Na Byung-hoon, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (28th Judicial Research and Training Institute class), who returned from a dispatch to the Military Death Accident Investigation Commission, was appointed as the First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, a position that attracted attention. Additionally, Lim Eun-jung, Inspection Policy Research Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (30th class), who was rumored to be promoted to Head of the Inspection Division, was concurrently appointed as a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, granting her investigative authority.
That afternoon, the Ministry of Justice filled six vacancies, including the First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the Second Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, and the Head of the Second Inspection Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, which had become vacant due to resignations. They also conducted a minimal-scale personnel reshuffle to accommodate the return and replacement of four senior prosecutors dispatched to the UN Permanent Mission.
As previously announced by the Ministry of Justice, human rights supervisors who had been responsible for human rights protection duties at various prosecutors' offices were appointed to key positions in this reshuffle.
Na, who served as a human rights supervisor at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office in 2018 and at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in 2019, was appointed as the First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Park Jae-eok, a human rights supervisor at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (29th class) and former spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice during former Minister Cho Kuk's tenure, was transferred to the position of Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office. Additionally, Kwon Ki-dae, human rights supervisor at the Anyang Branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), was transferred to Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Anyang Branch.
The Ministry of Justice stated that to strengthen inspection functions and continuously promote prosecutorial reform, Lim was concurrently appointed as a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office with investigative authority, thereby enhancing the efficiency and function of inspection duties.
Furthermore, the Ministry formed a 'Prosecutorial Reform Task Force' and appointed Lee Sung-sik, Head of the Criminal Division 2 at the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (32nd class), as team leader. Kim Tae-hoon, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Busan District Prosecutors' Office (35th class), Lee Soo-chang, prosecutor at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (37th class), and Kim Dae-hyun, prosecutor at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (39th class), were dispatched to the task force.
For the position of Head of the Second Inspection Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Ahn Byung-soo, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (32nd class), who returned from dispatch at the Netherlands Embassy, was transferred. Lee Jin-soo, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office (29th class), was transferred as the Second Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office. Kim Seung-ho, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office (33rd class), who returned from dispatch at the Japanese Embassy, was transferred as Chief of the Sangju Branch.
Additionally, considering the establishment of the Ulsan branch of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office and the need to reinforce personnel at the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office, personnel transfers at the high prosecutor level were conducted. Im Kwan-hyuk, a prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (26th class) who led the Sewol Ferry investigation team, was appointed to the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office at his own request, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Kim Wook-jun, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Oh Hyun-chul, Second Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, and Park Jin-won, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Anyang Branch, who had already submitted their resignations, were granted honorable retirement.
The Ministry of Justice stated, "This personnel reshuffle was conducted within the minimum necessary scope to ensure organizational stability and continuity of investigations, while reflecting necessary measures to continuously promote prosecutorial reform."
They added, "We made every effort to incorporate diverse opinions and communicated sufficiently with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office regarding the scale of personnel changes and specific assignments to gather feedback."
Meanwhile, Byun Pil-geon, Head of the Criminal Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (30th class), who opposed Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Sung-yoon over the dismissal of charges against Chief Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon in the 'Channel A Coercion Attempt' case, and Choi Sung-pil, Second Deputy Chief Prosecutor (28th class), who also expressed a no-charge opinion regarding Chief Prosecutor Han, retained their positions.
Also, Lee Sang-hyun, Head of the Criminal Division 5 at the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office (33rd class), who is leading the investigation into the 'Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Economic Feasibility Evaluation Manipulation' case, and Lee Jung-seop, Head of the Criminal Division 3 at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (32nd class), who is leading the investigation team for the 'Illegal Departure Ban' case involving former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-eui, also retained their positions.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
