Prosecutors Fully Assembled... Investigation Experts Assigned to 'Ministry of Industry Blacklist and Lee Jae-myung Allegations'
Inside Prosecution: "Experts Placed Appropriately... New Chief Likely to Face No Personnel Complaints"
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] The keywords for the largest mid-level prosecutor personnel reshuffle in history are summarized as ‘Special Investigation Unit’, ‘Yoon’s Faction’, and ‘Moon Administration’.
On the 29th, inside and outside the prosecution, there is an analysis that the prosecution has appointed those with special strengths in special and public security investigations to important investigative departments and placed personnel classified as the so-called ‘Yoon Seok-yeol line’ in major district prosecutor’s offices and branch offices, entering ‘investigation mode’.
The special investigation line at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which may re-investigate the Daejang-dong development corruption allegations, is entirely occupied by those who have previously investigated alongside President Yoon Seok-yeol and Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon. Additionally, Jeon Mu-gon, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Ansan Branch Office (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 31), who was dispatched to the Presidential Transition Committee of the Yoon Seok-yeol government, was sent as Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office to lead the investigation into the ‘Ministry of Industry blacklist allegations’. The Criminal Division 6, responsible for the blacklist investigation, was entrusted to Seo Hyun-wook, Chief of Criminal Division 3 at the Busan Western Branch Office (class 35), who has experience in the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office Special Division.
Kim Hyung-rok, a special investigation expert who served as head of special divisions at the Incheon and Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Offices, was appointed as the 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, handling the investigation into the ‘Attorney Fee Payment Allegations’ against Lee Jae-myung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea. For this case, Kim Young-nam, Chief of Criminal Division 4 at the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office (class 34), who previously served as Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office Public Investigation Division 1 and participated in the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant corruption investigation, and Jung Won-doo, Chief of Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office (class 34), known for his proven investigative skills, were assigned to the Criminal Division 6 and Public Investigation Division, respectively.
Lee Chang-soo, 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office (class 30), who was President Yoon’s spokesperson when he was Prosecutor General, was appointed as Chief Prosecutor of the Seongnam Branch Office, which is leading the police’s ‘Seongnam FC Sponsorship Allegations’ case. The Deputy Chief Prosecutor is Cho Sang-won, a prosecutor dispatched to the Financial Insolvency Responsibility Investigation Headquarters (class 32), who investigated the Park Geun-hye government’s state affairs manipulation case and the Lime scandal. The Chief of Criminal Division 1 is Kim Young-oh, head of Criminal Division 6 at the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office (class 34), a strong investigator who previously worked at the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office and Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Violent Crimes Division and also handled the Sewol ferry investigation. This lineup signals an intention to uncover misconduct allegations involving former Seongnam mayors.
Dan Seong-han, Chief of Criminal Division 1 at the Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office (class 32), was appointed to lead the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office’s Joint Financial and Securities Crime Investigation Team, known as the ‘Yeouido Grim Reaper’. Newly appointed Dan Seong-han previously handled the ‘Judicial Manipulation’ investigation of former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae and worked closely with Minister Han, who was then the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
On the other hand, mid-level prosecutors who showed pro-government tendencies and were promoted during the Moon Jae-in administration were demoted or not assigned positions in this reshuffle. Minister Han had already announced a ‘reward and punishment’ policy before the personnel changes, and 23 mid-level prosecutors who voluntarily resigned were processed as resigned members in this reshuffle.
A chief prosecutor said, "Those who were not recognized for their abilities in the previous administration have found their rightful places in this reshuffle," adding, "Since personnel were appropriately assigned according to their areas of expertise, there should be no dissatisfaction with the personnel changes even if a new Prosecutor General arrives."
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