[Profile] Shim Woo-jung, Deputy Minister of Justice... Extensive Experience in Key Legal and Prosecutorial Positions

Former Liberty Forward Party Leader Shim Dae-pyeong's Son, Who Served as Minister of Justice Policy Office Chief, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and Governor of Chungnam

Shim Woo-jung, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (age 53, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 26), was appointed as the new Vice Minister of Justice on the 18th. His term begins on the 19th.

Shim Woo-jung, newly appointed Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Deputy Minister Shim is from Gongju, Chungnam, and graduated from Seoul National University College of Law. After passing the 36th Judicial Examination in 1994, he entered public service, completed the 26th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and fulfilled his military service as an Army legal officer.

He subsequently served as Director of the Criminal Planning Division at the Ministry of Justice, Director of the Prosecution Division at the Ministry of Justice, Chief Prosecutor of the 1st Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Western Branch of the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, Director of Forensic Science Planning at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Justice, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, and Chief Prosecutor of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office.

Notably, as Chief Prosecutor of the 1st Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, he investigated Woo Byung-woo, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, who was suspected of aiding the state affairs manipulation scandal. Deputy Minister Shim is a highly trusted figure within the prosecution, having held key positions such as Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Justice, frontline district chief prosecutor, and Deputy Prosecutor General during the Moon Jae-in administration. He is also the son of Shim Dae-pyung, former Governor of Chungnam and former leader of the Liberty Forward Party.

With Deputy Minister Shim moving to the Ministry of Justice, a chain of high-ranking personnel changes is expected. While it is possible that the Deputy Prosecutor General position at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will be left vacant, given that Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok's term ends in September this year, there is speculation that the 'second-in-command' position at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will not remain vacant for long and a targeted personnel appointment may be made. Before Deputy Minister Shim was appointed Deputy Prosecutor General last September, the position had been vacant for over a year.

In the absence of a Minister of Justice, it is believed that personnel changes will proceed by filling only the Deputy Prosecutor General position at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office rather than conducting a large-scale reshuffle.