Senior Prosecutors from Training Institute Classes 25-27 Promoted to Chief Prosecutor... Classes 28-29 See Mass Promotion to Senior Prosecutor
More Than 15 Promotion Candidates... Senior Prosecutor Appointments Expected After Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Supreme Prosecutors' Office Named
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] Following the high prosecutors, Lee Jung-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (age 53, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 26), expressed his intention to resign on the 17th, expanding the scope of high-level personnel changes in the prosecution.
On the 17th, inside and outside the prosecution, there is an analysis that the vacant high prosecutor positions and the Ministry of Justice department head positions, which were appointed with non-prosecutorial backgrounds due to the Moon Jae-in administration's de-prosecution policy, will be filled with personnel at the level of chief prosecutors.
Accordingly, there is growing speculation that executives from Judicial Research and Training Institute classes 25 to 27 will be promoted to high prosecutors, and classes 28 to 29 will be massively promoted to chief prosecutors. Currently, there are a total of 46 senior officials at the level of high prosecutors and chief prosecutors in the Ministry of Justice and prosecution, among whom the Ministry of Justice Legal Affairs Office Director, Human Rights Bureau Director, Immigration Headquarters Director, and Crime Prevention Policy Bureau Director are from non-prosecutorial backgrounds.
At the high prosecutor level, Park Sung-jin, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (acting Prosecutor General), Kwon Soon-beom, Daegu High Prosecutor, Cho Jae-yeon, Busan High Prosecutor, and Kim Kwan-jung, Suwon High Prosecutor, have submitted their resignations, and at the district prosecutor level, only Lee Jung-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, has expressed his intention to resign.
In this situation, if Han Dong-hoon is appointed as Minister of Justice, the wave of resignations among senior officials is expected to accelerate. At a previous parliamentary confirmation hearing, candidate Han stated, "In an independent environment for prosecution investigations, prosecutors should pursue the truth with their own convictions and hold responsible parties accountable. If the process complies with the law, there will be no disadvantages in personnel matters regardless of the political interests of the administration," indirectly signaling a 'reward and punishment' personnel reshuffle targeting pro-Moon Jae-in administration prosecution officials who have shown behavior deviating from political neutrality.
Accordingly, it is anticipated that this personnel reshuffle will be extensive, with more than 15 candidates expected to be promoted to chief prosecutor.
Among the candidates for promotion to chief prosecutor from class 28 of the Judicial Research and Training Institute are Shin Ja-yong, Head of the Litigation Department at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Shin Eung-seok, prosecutor at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Hong Seung-wook, prosecutor at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Han Seok-ri, Chief Professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and Lee Jin-dong, Head of the Inspection Department at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office.
From class 29, candidates include Song Kyung-ho, prosecutor at Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, Yang Seok-jo, Human Rights Protection Officer at Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, Shin Bong-su, prosecutor at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Kwon Soon-jung, Chief of Busan Western District Prosecutors' Office, Kim Yoo-cheol, prosecutor at Busan High Prosecutors' Office, Hwang Byung-joo, Head of the Joint Investigation Team for Overseas Illegal Assets Recovery, Jung Young-hak, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office, Park Se-hyun, Chief of Busan Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, Jung Jin-woo, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Cho Jae-bin, First Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, and Park Ji-young, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office.
It is expected that high-level personnel appointments will separate high prosecutor and chief prosecutor appointments. It is likely that the resignations of Park Sung-jin, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, who has already expressed his intention to resign, will be accepted, and high prosecutor appointments will be made while appointing a new Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Subsequently, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is expected to consult with candidate Han and proceed with chief prosecutor appointments.
On the other hand, since the Prosecutor General position, which must coordinate personnel matters with the Minister of Justice, is vacant, there is also analysis that it will be difficult to immediately carry out chief prosecutor appointments.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
