Possibility of Prosecutor General Personnel Changes the Day After Han Dong-hoon's Inauguration... Song Kyung-ho, a Leading Candidate for 'Cho Kuk Investigation'

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon / Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] It is anticipated that Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon will carry out some high-level personnel appointments as early as the 18th to promptly resolve the leadership vacuum in the prosecution.

As of this day, there are a total of 46 senior executive positions at the level of chief prosecutor or higher within the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution.

With Minister Han (Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 27) who took office the day before, and recently appointed Vice Minister Ino Gong (Class 26), the Ministry of Justice’s seniority has lowered, raising expectations for a large-scale entry of chief prosecutors from Judicial Research and Training Institute Classes 28 to 29.

Previously, Deputy Prosecutor General Park Seongjin (Class 24), Director of the Judicial Training Institute Cho Namgwan (Class 24), Busan High Prosecutor General Cho Jaeyeon (Class 25), Daegu High Prosecutor General Kwon Soonbeom (Class 25), and Suwon High Prosecutor General Kim Gwanjeong (Class 26) repeatedly expressed their intention to resign, while Judicial Training Institute Research Fellow Gu Bonseon (Class 23) and Seoul Central District Prosecutor General Lee Jeongsu (Class 26) also indicated their willingness to step down.

Song Kyungho, a prosecutor at Suwon High Prosecutors’ Office (Class 29), is reportedly a strong candidate for Seoul Central District Prosecutor General. He oversaw special investigations as the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office when President Yoon Seok-yeol was Prosecutor General. In 2019, he led the investigation into former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk’s family and was subsequently demoted.

Shin Jayong, Head of the Litigation Department at Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office (Class 28), is said to be a leading candidate for Director of the Prosecution Bureau at the Ministry of Justice. He worked closely with Minister Han when Han was the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office as Head of the Special Investigation Division 1.

The appointment of the Prosecutor General is also expected to accelerate. Candidates for Prosecutor General include Kim Hugon, Daegu District Prosecutor General (Class 25); Lee Dubong, Incheon District Prosecutor General (Class 25); Park Chanho, Gwangju District Prosecutor General (Class 26); and Lee Wonseok, Jeju District Prosecutor General (Class 27).

The Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee selects candidates through public nomination, evaluates their qualifications, and recommends three or more candidates to the Minister of Justice. The Minister then nominates one of these candidates to the President as the Prosecutor General nominee.