[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyung-min and Kim Dae-hyun] The first pool of candidates for Prosecutor General under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration has been narrowed down to four current senior officials.
On the afternoon of the 16th, the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee (Recommendation Committee) recommended four candidates to Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon: Yeo Hwan-seop, Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute (24th Judicial Research and Training Institute class, hereafter class); Kim Hu-gon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office (25th class); Lee Doo-bong, Chief Prosecutor of the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office (25th class); and Lee Won-seok, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (27th class).
Minister Han will use this recommendation to propose the final candidate to President Yoon Seok-yeol for appointment.
Director Yeo is a prosecutor renowned for his work in special investigations, having consecutively served as head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Investigation Division 2 (2011), Investigation Division 1 (2012), and Special Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (2013). He handled several major cases, including the Hyundai Motor Group slush fund case, and prosecuted figures such as Chung Mong-koo, Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, and the late Kim Woo-joong, former Chairman of Daewoo Group, earning the nickname "Viper."
Chief Prosecutor Kim voiced strong opinions during the Moon Jae-in administration's "complete prosecution reform" phase, standing firmly with then-Prosecutor General Yoon and representing the organization's stance.
Chief Prosecutor Lee served as an aide to President Yoon when he was the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and Prosecutor General, and is considered a figure who will promote investigations and policies aligned with the current administration's direction.
Deputy Prosecutor General Lee led the prosecution for nearly three months during the vacancy of the Prosecutor General position, quickly stabilizing the organization and accelerating investigations into major cases, thereby demonstrating his presence. The fact that he can dispel controversies over "bypassing the Prosecutor General" related to several personnel changes made by Minister Han after his inauguration also increases his chances of being selected.
Lee Won-seok, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office / Photo by Jin-hyeong Kang aymsdream@
Previously, the Ministry of Justice received nominations for Prosecutor General candidates through a public call from the 12th to the 19th of last month. After obtaining consent and conducting verification, Minister Han shortlisted nine candidates and notified the Recommendation Committee of the list.
The Recommendation Committee consists of nine members: former Prosecutor General Kim Jin-tae (Chairman), four non-ex officio members, and five ex officio members. The non-ex officio members include former Prosecutor General Kim, Kwon Young-jun, Standing Advisor of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, Kwon Joon-soo, Professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Lee Woo-young, Professor at Seoul National University Law School. The ex officio members are Kim Hyung-doo, Deputy Director of the Court Administration Office; Lee Jong-yeop, President of the Korean Bar Association; Jung Young-hwan, President of the Korean Law Professors Association; Han Ki-jung, Chairman of the Council of Law Schools; and Shin Ja-yong, Director of the Ministry of Justice's Prosecution Bureau.
Chairman Kim Jin-tae said at the meeting, "With the upcoming implementation of the amended Prosecutors' Office Act and Criminal Procedure Act, which will bring significant changes to criminal justice, and ongoing investigations into major cases, the importance of the Prosecutor General cannot be overstated. As chairman, I will do my best to select a person capable of fulfilling the role so that the prosecution can perform its fundamental duties well through thorough review."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
![Clutching a Stolen Dior Bag, Saying "I Hate Being Poor but Real"... The Grotesque Con of a "Human Knockoff" [Slate]](https://cwcontent.asiae.co.kr/asiaresize/183/2026021902243444107_1771435474.jpg)
