Prosecutors' Office Adds 3 Prosecutors Including Former Special and Violent Crime Division Inspectors

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) is appointing three prosecutors, including former special and violent crime prosecutors, as chief prosecutors.

On the 30th, the HCIA announced that it would appoint Kim Myung-seok, a former violent crime prosecutor and current representative lawyer at Law Firm Woobang (Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 30), and Kim Seon-gyu, a former special crime prosecutor and lawyer at Law Firm Dajeon (Class 32), as chief prosecutors, and Yoon Sang-hyuk, an HCIA officer (4th Bar Exam), as a prosecutor.

These three individuals were recommended by the HCIA Prosecutor Personnel Committee, composed of members recommended by both ruling and opposition parties, and underwent the final approval process by the President. The appointment ceremony will be held on the 7th of next month.

With this appointment, the HCIA, which has a total of 25 prosecutors including the chief and deputy chief, will have 23 prosecutors (3 chief prosecutors and 18 regular prosecutors), the HCIA stated.

Although adding three prosecutors to the current 21 should make 24, one chief prosecutor is scheduled to retire on the 5th of next month.

Lawyer Kim Myung-seok is a violent crime specialist who worked mostly in the violent crime division handling organized crime and drug cases from 2001 to 2017 during his tenure as a prosecutor. The HCIA also stated that he demonstrated expertise in various recognized investigations, bribery and embezzlement investigations, and recovery of concealed criminal proceeds, having arrested over 600 people through recognized investigations alone.

Lawyer Kim Seon-gyu is a typical special crime prosecutor who handled mostly special investigation cases during his time as a prosecutor from 2003 to 2015. He investigated cases such as the 'bribery case involving a former National Tax Service Commissioner' and the 'former Blue House secretary's solicitation case.' From 2009 and between 2012 and 2013, he was dispatched to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Central Investigation Department, investigating cases including the 'Park Yeon-cha lobbying allegations involving political circles,' the 'Hanwha and Taekwang Group slush fund case,' and the 'savings bank corruption and political lobbying allegations.'

While serving as a regular prosecutor in 2013, Lawyer Kim posted on the internal network demanding the withdrawal of disciplinary action when the Supreme Prosecutors' Office sought severe punishment against President Yoon Seok-youl (then head of Yeoju branch office), who led the 'National Intelligence Service comment investigation team,' citing insubordination.

Investigator Yoon Sang-hyuk passed the bar exam and worked as a criminal defense lawyer for over six years before joining the HCIA as an investigator on May 14 last year. He is currently working in the Investigation Division 1. Yoon received high evaluations from the Prosecutor Personnel Committee members for his understanding of HCIA investigative work, practical investigation skills, and legal expertise as a lawyer.

Kim Jin-wook, head of the HCIA, said, "We expect the appointment of two special and violent crime investigation experts, who have demonstrated their abilities in large-scale cases with significant political and social impact and recognized investigations, as chief prosecutors will double the HCIA's investigative capabilities." He added, "I believe the new prosecutors will invigorate the organization so that the HCIA can steadily accumulate investigative achievements that the public desires."