Troubled Prosecution Restructuring... Delayed Personnel Changes

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The appointment of mid-level prosecutors is being delayed. The organizational restructuring, which should have preceded after all senior appointments were completed, is being postponed. The prosecution has expressed difficulty in accepting the Ministry of Justice's planned organizational restructuring, stating that it "seriously undermines the political neutrality and independence of the prosecution," drawing attention to what decision Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye will make.

According to the legal community on the 13th, the Ministry of Justice is conducting additional reviews on the organizational restructuring plan that limits the prosecution's direct investigation functions. Earlier, Minister Park stated regarding the possibility of removing the regulation that requires ministerial approval before the Criminal Division can initiate direct investigations, "It is under review, but nothing has been finalized yet."

The restructuring plan includes provisions that only dedicated divisions of local prosecutors' offices can directly investigate six major crimes (corruption, public officials, economy, elections, large-scale disasters, defense projects), while general criminal divisions must obtain approval from the Prosecutor General or the Minister of Justice to initiate investigations.

However, Minister Park indicated his intention not to further delay the process, saying, "Since there will be follow-up appointments, the restructuring plan should be completed as soon as possible." He added, "It is more important than anything to properly set the direction and content of the restructuring plan, so it is necessary to think thoroughly and carefully."

Inside and outside the prosecution, there is speculation that the Ministry of Justice may revise parts of the restructuring plan. Given the strong opposition within the prosecution, the intention is to modify the investigation approval system to avoid direct conflict with the prosecution and then proceed with mid-level appointments without controversy. It is also known that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is preparing regulations related to control measures such as requiring the Prosecutor General's approval for direct investigations by the Criminal Division.

There is also interest in whether the prosecution's organizational restructuring plan will be submitted to the Cabinet meeting this week. If an agreement had been reached last week, the Ministry of Justice could submit it to the Cabinet meeting after consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which is responsible for government organizational restructuring. If the restructuring plan passes, mid-level appointments could be made as early as late this week or early next week.