[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Lee Won-seok, Chief Prosecutor of Jeju District Prosecutors' Office (age 53, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 27), has been appointed as the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, acting as the Prosecutor General, a position currently vacant.
Song Kyung-ho, Prosecutor at Suwon High Prosecutors' Office (age 52, class 29), has been appointed as Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Shin Ja-yong, Head of Litigation Department at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (age 50, class 28), and Kwon Soon-jung, Chief of the Western Branch of Busan District Prosecutors' Office (age 48, class 29), have been appointed as Director of the Prosecutor's Office and Director of Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Justice, respectively. All are figures known as the so-called 'Yoon Seok-yeol faction' and have been placed in key positions in this personnel reshuffle.
The Ministry of Justice carried out this high-ranking prosecutor personnel reshuffle effective from the 23rd, announced on the 18th.
The newly appointed Lee Won-seok, Deputy Prosecutor General (equivalent to High Prosecutor), is a representative special prosecutor within the prosecution who worked alongside President Yoon Seok-yeol and Minister Han Dong-hoon in the special investigation team for the Park Geun-hye administration's state affairs manipulation case. He was also the prosecutor who directly investigated former President Park Geun-hye.
President Yoon served as the head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Planning and Coordination Department when he was Prosecutor General. Later, during former Minister Chu Mi-ae's tenure, Lee was demoted to Deputy Chief Prosecutor at Suwon High Prosecutors' Office but returned to a key position at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office after serving as Chief Prosecutor of Jeju District Prosecutors' Office. Since the Prosecutor General position is vacant, he will also act as the Prosecutor General for the time being.
Song Kyung-ho, the new Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, served as Head of Special Investigation Division 2 when President Yoon was Chief Prosecutor there, and later as the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor overseeing special investigations at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in 2019 when Yoon became Prosecutor General. He led the investigation into former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk's family but was demoted consecutively to Chief of Yeoju Branch of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office and Prosecutor at Suwon High Prosecutors' Office.
Shin Ja-yong, Director of the Prosecutor's Office, will oversee personnel and budget affairs of the prosecution. He also worked closely with President Yoon and others in the special investigation team during the Park Geun-hye administration's state affairs manipulation case. He served as the head of the hearing preparation team during Minister Han's confirmation hearing.
Kwon Soon-jung, the new Director of the Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Justice, assisted President Yoon as Head of Criminal Division 2 when Yoon was Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and served as the spokesperson of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office when Yoon was Prosecutor General.
Kim Hu-gon, Chief Prosecutor of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, who was highly regarded within the organization and considered a candidate for Prosecutor General, has been promoted and transferred to Chief Prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. Yang Seok-jo, Human Rights Protection Officer at Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, has been appointed Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, and Han Seok-ri, Professor at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, has been appointed Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office. Hong Seung-wook, Prosecutor at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, has been assigned as Chief Prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office.
Kim Yoo-cheol, Prosecutor at Busan High Prosecutors' Office, has been appointed Head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. He also served as Head of Criminal Division 7 when President Yoon was Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and after Yoon became Prosecutor General, he worked as Investigation Information Policy Officer, regarded as the 'eyes and ears' of the prosecution, and is recognized as a public security expert.
Deputy Prosecutors assisting Chief Prosecutor Song Kyung-ho at Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office include Park Young-jin, Head of the Middle Investigation Team at Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office (2nd Deputy Chief), Park Ki-dong, Chief of Wonju Branch (3rd Deputy Chief), and Go Hyung-gon, Chief of Pohang Branch (4th Deputy Chief). Shin Dong-won, Head of Criminal Division 3 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, has been selected as spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice, serving as Minister Han's 'mouthpiece.'
On the other hand, high-ranking officials classified as pro-government during the Moon Jae-in administration have been demoted. Lee Sung-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office; Lee Jung-soo, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office; Lee Jung-hyun, Head of Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office; and Shim Jae-chul, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, have been relegated to research positions at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Im Eun-jung, Ministry of Justice Inspection Officer, who showed opposition by filing complaints against President Yoon, has been demoted to Head of the Middle Investigation Team at Daegu District Prosecutors' Office.
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