Complications in Finding Yoon's Successor... From a Speed Race to a Call for Caution

Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee Discussion Possible Next Week... Minister Park Faces Deep Dilemma Over Lee Seong-yoon Controversy

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The process of finding a successor to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is being delayed. Park Beom-gye, the Minister of Justice who promised to resolve the vacancy of the Prosecutor General "with lightning speed," has shifted to a cautious stance due to the possibility of indictment of a leading candidate.

According to the legal community on the 16th, the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee (Recommendation Committee), originally expected to meet this week, is now expected to convene next week. The committee's operating regulations require the chairperson to notify members of the date, time, place, and agenda at least three days before the meeting. Considering that some members' schedules have not been coordinated by this day, the first meeting will likely be possible only next week.

The variable is the various controversies surrounding Lee Seong-yoon, the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and a leading candidate for the next Prosecutor General. The prosecution's decision to indict him without detention as a suspect in the 'Kim Hak-ui former Deputy Minister of Justice illegal departure ban case' has become the biggest obstacle in the appointment process.

The timing of the indictment is expected to be possible only after the committee meeting. If the indictment occurs before the candidate pool is finalized, it could cause political controversy. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office, which holds the position that indicting Chief Prosecutor Lee is inevitable, is currently led by Acting Prosecutor General Cho Nam-gwan, another leading candidate, which could raise fairness concerns.

Minister Park has also shown discomfort amid the daily emerging issues surrounding Chief Prosecutor Lee ahead of the Recommendation Committee meeting. The day before, when reporters asked Minister Park about the 'indictment plan for Chief Prosecutor Lee, who is considered a candidate for Prosecutor General,' he said, "I am watching," and added, "Please allow me to remain silent. Silence can also be a message." Earlier, Minister Park had also stated regarding the holding of the Recommendation Committee meeting, "There seem to be many factors to consider, so it is difficult to predict the procedure."

The legal community also views the selection of the next Prosecutor General as effectively entering a long-term battle. Given the public sentiment confirmed by the ruling party's defeat in the April 7 by-elections, it is not easy for the Blue House to forcibly push Chief Prosecutor Lee as a 'suspect Prosecutor General.'

The focus is also shifting to other candidates in the same context. As the vacancy of the Prosecutor General position lengthens, trust within the prosecution is rather building around Acting Prosecutor General Cho, former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Oh-soo, former Busan High Prosecutors' Office Chief Yang Bu-nam, and Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office Chief Koo Bon-seon, among others.

However, there is also a view that despite various controversies, Chief Prosecutor Lee remains a strong candidate. It is burdensome to choose another option amid the acceleration of investigations targeting the Blue House in the latter half of the administration. In fact, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office investigation team recently notified Lee Gwang-cheol, the Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary, of a summons for questioning. Secretary Lee is suspected of coordinating between Cha Gyu-geun, Director of the Immigration and Foreign Policy Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, who was indicted for involvement in the illegal departure ban of former Deputy Minister Kim, and Prosecutor Lee Gyu-won.