"Accumulating Trial Experience and Expertise Across Various Fields"
Candidate for the Head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (PCC), Lawyer Oh Dong-woon Photo by Yonhap News
President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 26th officially nominated Attorney Oh Dong-woon of the Geumseong Law Firm as the final candidate for the head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HOCI head).
Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon and stated, "President Yoon has nominated Attorney Oh as the candidate for the HOCI head," adding, "We plan to promptly request a confirmation hearing from the National Assembly."
Nominee Oh was born in 1969 and graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in German Language and Literature. He entered public service in 1998 as a trainee judge at the Busan District Court after completing the 27th Judicial Research and Training Institute. He has served as a judge at the Seoul High Court, a dispatched judge at the Constitutional Court, chief judge at the Ulsan District Court, and chief judge at the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court. The Presidential Office stated, "He has accumulated 20 years of judicial experience and expertise across various fields in the courts."
Presidential Office: "Linking the HOCI head nomination to the special prosecutor law is inappropriate"
In response to reporters' remarks that the HOCI head position has been vacant for over three months and the nomination was delayed, a Presidential Office official explained, "The HOCI head position requires a confirmation hearing by the National Assembly, so careful consideration is necessary. Since there is an election, the nomination and confirmation hearing procedures were conducted considering the National Assembly's schedule during the election period."
Regarding the nomination amid opposition party pressure to pass the special prosecutor law related to the Chae Sang-byeong case in the 21st National Assembly, the official said, "The HOCI's complaint on the Chae Sang-byeong case was filed last September during the tenure of the previous HOCI head, and the investigation has been ongoing. The special prosecutor law was proposed independently of the HOCI investigation and was introduced last September. Therefore, linking the nomination of the HOCI head to the special prosecutor law is inappropriate," rebutting the claims.
Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, is briefing on June 26 at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol's nomination of the next candidate for the head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The official added, "Some have criticized that the review process for the HOCI head candidate has been delayed, suggesting it might be an attempt to undermine the investigation. However, if criticism arises that the nomination itself is to obstruct the investigation, I believe that is not a reasonable criticism."
When asked about the reason for nominating Attorney Oh as the HOCI head, the official responded, "We carefully considered multiple candidates by gathering various opinions and taking into account fairness, reliability, and other factors before making the decision." Previously, the candidate recommendation committee had recommended Attorneys Oh Dong-woon and Lee Myung-soon as the final candidates in February.
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