Prosecutor General Personnel Reshuffle... Im Gwanhyeok Appointed Seoul High Prosecutor, Lee Changsu Central District Prosecutor (Comprehensive)

Prosecutor General Lee Chang-su, Close Aide to Yoon... Skilled in Investigation and Planning
Lee Jae-myung Investigation Led by Central District Prosecutor's Office 4th Chief, Promoted to Prosecutor General... Major Overhaul of Supreme Prosecutors' Office Staff

A high-ranking personnel reshuffle at the level of chief prosecutors and above was carried out on the 13th. The head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who was investigating allegations and trials surrounding Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and allegations against First Lady Kim Keon-hee, was abruptly replaced.

Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul.

The Ministry of Justice announced that on this day, new appointments and transfers of 39 prosecutors at the level of senior prosecutors in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office were implemented as of the 16th.

In this reshuffle, Lee Chang-soo, former chief prosecutor of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office (Judicial Research and Training Institute class of 30), was transferred to become the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Lee served as the head of the Blue House special inspection team during the Lee Myung-bak administration and closely assisted President Yoon Seok-youl when he was Prosecutor General as the spokesperson of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. While serving as chief of the Seongnam branch office, Lee investigated the illegal sponsorship allegations related to Lee Jae-myung's Seongnam FC and indicted him. Since his appointment as chief prosecutor of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office in September last year, he has been investigating preferential employment allegations involving the son-in-law of former President Moon Jae-in at Eastar Jet. Lee is regarded as having excellent political acumen and being proficient in both planning and investigation.

Song Kyung-ho, who led the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for nearly two years (Judicial Research and Training Institute class of 29), was promoted to chief prosecutor of Busan High Prosecutors' Office. Kwon Soon-jung, chief prosecutor (class of 29) who concurrently served as director of the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor's Office and director of the Planning and Coordination Office, was promoted to chief prosecutor of Suwon High Prosecutors' Office. Lim Kwan-hyuk, chief prosecutor of Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, was horizontally transferred to chief prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, rapidly emerging as a candidate for the next Prosecutor General. Shin Bong-soo, chief prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (class of 29), who is leading the investigation into former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young's alleged illegal remittance to North Korea, was promoted to chief prosecutor of Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office.

Song Kang, chief prosecutor of Incheon District Prosecutors' Office (class of 29), took charge of the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor's Office, which oversees prosecution personnel and budget, while Byun Pil-geon, deputy chief prosecutor of Suwon High Prosecutors' Office (class of 30), was appointed as director of the Ministry of Justice's Planning Office responsible for parliamentary affairs.

The entire staff supporting Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok was also replaced. Jeon Moo-gon, chief prosecutor of Seongnam branch office (class of 31), was appointed head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Planning Department; Kim Tae-eun, third deputy chief prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (class of 31), was appointed head of the Public Investigation Department overseeing election and labor cases; Jeong Hee-do, chief prosecutor of Ansan branch office (class of 31), was appointed head of the Trial and Litigation Department; and Heo Jeong, chief prosecutor of Goyang branch office (class of 31), was promoted to head of the Scientific Investigation Department. Lee Jin-soo, chief prosecutor of Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office (class of 29), was transferred as head of the Criminal Department, and No Man-seok, chief prosecutor of Jeju District Prosecutors' Office (class of 29), was transferred as head of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Department. Yang Seok-jo, head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Department (class of 29), retained his position.

The previous Supreme Prosecutors' Office staff were transferred to frontline district prosecutors' offices. Park Se-hyun, head of the Criminal Department (class of 29), was transferred to chief prosecutor of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office; Seong Sang-heon, director of the Planning Department (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office; Park Young-bin, head of the Narcotics Department (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office; Park Ki-dong, head of the Public Investigation Department (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office; Park Hyun-jun, head of the Scientific Investigation Department (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office; and Jeong Yu-mi, head of the Trial and Litigation Department (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Changwon District Prosecutors' Office.

Most frontline district prosecutors' chiefs were also transferred in less than a year. Shin Eung-seok, chief prosecutor of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office (class of 28), was transferred to chief prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office; Jeong Jin-woo, chief prosecutor of Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office (class of 29), to chief prosecutor of Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office; Kim Seon-hwa, chief prosecutor of Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office; Kim Seong-hoon, chief prosecutor of Changwon District Prosecutors' Office (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office; Park Jae-eok, chief prosecutor of Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office (class of 29), to chief prosecutor of Incheon District Prosecutors' Office; Kim Yoo-cheol, chief prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (class of 29), to chief prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office; and Lee Young-rim, deputy chief prosecutor of Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office (class of 30), to chief prosecutor of Chuncheon District Prosecutors' Office.

In this reshuffle, Judicial Research and Training Institute class of 31 members made significant advances with numerous promotions. Park Hyun-cheol, second deputy chief prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and former spokesperson for Prosecutor General Lee, was promoted to deputy chief prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office; Ko Hyung-gon, fourth deputy chief prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office who led politically sensitive cases involving Lee Jae-myung for nearly two years, was promoted to deputy chief prosecutor of Suwon High Prosecutors' Office. Park Seong-min, first deputy chief prosecutor of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office; Im Seung-cheol, first deputy chief prosecutor of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office; and Koo Seung-mo, legal affairs officer at the Ministry of Justice, were all promoted to chief prosecutors. Park Young-jin, director of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Crime Information Planning Office, who appeared as a witness in a lawsuit requesting cancellation of disciplinary action filed during President Yoon's tenure as Prosecutor General, was promoted to chief prosecutor and appointed chief prosecutor of Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office. Jang Dong-chul, head of the Criminal Department at Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, was promoted to chief prosecutor of Jeju District Prosecutors' Office (class of 30).