New Candidate for Chief of Public Corruption Investigation Office May Emerge Today... "Preliminary Behind-the-Scenes Contacts Among Candidates"

The outline of the next head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo), who will succeed Kim Jin-wook, the current chief stepping down in January next year, is expected to be revealed as early as the 30th.

High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency. Photo by Asia Economy DB

The Candidate Recommendation Committee for the Gong-su-cheo Chief (hereafter, the Recommendation Committee) will hold a meeting at 3 p.m. at the National Assembly to select the pool of recommended candidates. This is the second meeting following the one held on the 8th. In the previous meeting, each committee member agreed to propose up to three candidates for the Gong-su-cheo chief position. The deadline was 6 p.m. on the 20th. The Recommendation Committee consists of seven members, including Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, and Kim Sang-hwan, Chief of the Court Administration Office. It is known that about ten candidates were nominated for review.

There is also a possibility that the Recommendation Committee will finalize two candidates to recommend to the President in writing on the same day. If the Recommendation Committee approves the final two candidates with the support of at least five members, the President will nominate one of them as the candidate and appoint them after a confirmation hearing.

According to political and legal circles, after the meeting on the 8th, the Recommendation Committee members individually met with people they considered suitable for the next Gong-su-cheo chief to gauge their willingness. One official said, "I understand that a former senior prosecutor turned lawyer and Shin Mo, a former judge and law firm representative, were contacted regarding the Gong-su-cheo chief position." However, legal circles report that only a very few expressed a willingness to step forward as candidates for the Gong-su-cheo chief. The candidates for the Gong-su-cheo chief, whose position has been narrowed due to intense criticism over poor investigative capabilities, rarely accepted the offer readily.

Since its launch in January 2021, Gong-su-cheo has faced difficulties such as manpower shortages and budget constraints. Its investigative capabilities have also been criticized. Since its inception, it has requested arrest warrants four times, all of which were rejected. Kim Jin-pyo, Speaker of the National Assembly, pointed out on the 8th, after awarding appointment letters to the new Recommendation Committee members in the reception room, "There was strong doubt whether the first Gong-su-cheo had the capacity to investigate high-ranking officials' corruption beyond the level of the prosecution."

Amid this, analyses suggest that who will be appointed as the second Gong-su-cheo chief will determine the fate of the office. Observing who is appointed as the next Gong-su-cheo chief will provide insight into President Yoon Seok-yeol's intentions regarding the future direction of Gong-su-cheo's operations, i.e., the 'Yoon-sim (尹心)'.

Currently, Gong-su-cheo is investigating politically sensitive cases such as allegations of targeted audits against Jeon Hyun-hee, former Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, by the Board of Audit and Inspection, and allegations of external pressure in the investigation of Marine Corps Sergeant Cha Sang-byeong's death. It also needs to focus on maintaining prosecutions in major trials. Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, who was indicted on charges of 'unfair hiring of dismissed teachers,' received a sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 2-year probation in the first trial. Kim Hyung-jun, former chief prosecutor indicted on bribery charges, was acquitted in the first trial, and the second trial is ongoing. The 'Report Solicitation' case is awaiting a first trial verdict. On the 27th, Gong-su-cheo requested a 5-year prison sentence for Son Jun-sung, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, at the sentencing hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court. Gong-su-cheo needs to achieve remarkable results here to change the atmosphere.

Lee Ho-seon, a law professor at Kookmin University and a Recommendation Committee member (lawyer), told Asia Economy in a phone interview, expressing his personal opinion, "If Gong-su-cheo must exist in the future, I hope its role is limited to investigating corruption crimes of judges and prosecutors," adding, "I think the new Gong-su-cheo chief should have awareness of such a role and possess the drive to push it forward."

Meanwhile, Gong-su-cheo has fallen into deep internal turmoil due to an internal whistleblowing column written by a current chief prosecutor.

Kim Myung-seok, Human Rights Investigation Policy Officer (Chief Prosecutor) of Gong-su-cheo, revealed in a column titled "Political Bias and Personnel Arbitrary Actions," published in the Legal Newspaper on the same day, that Deputy Chief Yeon Guk of Gong-su-cheo had pre-decided conclusions on some politically sensitive cases and directed investigations accordingly.

In response, Kim Jin-wook, Gong-su-cheo Chief, ordered an inspection of Chief Prosecutor Kim the day before. Deputy Chief Yeon plans to file a complaint against Chief Prosecutor Kim with another investigative agency on the same day for defamation by false facts and breach of official secrets in a personal capacity.