Ministry of Justice Holds Prosecutor Personnel Committee Meeting to Discuss Deputy and Chief Prosecutor Appointments

The Prosecutor Personnel Committee convened on the 24th to discuss mid-level prosecutor personnel appointments at the deputy chief and chief prosecutor levels.

The Ministry of Justice held the Prosecutor Personnel Committee meeting at 4 p.m. at the Government Complex Gwacheon to discuss promotion and transfer proposals for prosecutors at the high prosecutor level (deputy chief and chief prosecutors).

Ministry of Justice, Government Gwacheon Complex. Photo by Choi Seok-jin

According to the Prosecutors' Office Act, the Prosecutor Personnel Committee is a body that deliberates on the principles and standards for the appointment and transfer of prosecutors. The Ministry of Justice is expected to carry out mid-level personnel appointments next week following this meeting.

This personnel appointment has drawn attention to the selection of the 1st to 4th deputy chief prosecutors of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, positions left vacant after the recent chief prosecutor appointments.

Previously, on the 13th, the Ministry of Justice executed new appointments and transfers for 39 high prosecutors and chief prosecutors, replacing the chief prosecutor and the 1st to 4th deputy chiefs of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. In this round of appointments, prosecutors from the 32nd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute are expected to be assigned as deputy chief prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Names circulating as potential candidates include Park Seung-hwan, Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of Justice; Park Joo-sung, 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Incheon District Prosecutors' Office; Lee Hee-dong, Public Investigation Planning Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office; Dan Seong-han, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office; Eom Hee-jun, Anti-Corruption Planning Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office; Yoon Byung-jun, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office; and Cho Sang-won, 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office.

Currently, under the 1st Deputy Chief Prosecutor, the Criminal Division 1 is investigating sensitive cases including allegations of luxury handbag bribery involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee, the Taj Mahal sightseeing controversy involving former President Moon Jae-in’s wife Kim Jung-sook on the presidential aircraft, and allegations concerning security personnel swimming lessons.

Under the 4th Deputy Chief Prosecutor, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 is investigating allegations of election interference and public opinion manipulation, while the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 is probing allegations of stock price manipulation involving Kim Keon-hee and the Democratic Party’s party convention cash envelope bribery case.

Amid controversy over the simultaneous replacement of the top leadership in charge of investigations related to Mrs. Kim, including the chief prosecutor and the 1st and 4th deputy chief prosecutors of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, there is also keen interest in whether key figures directly leading the investigations on the front lines, such as Kim Seung-ho, Chief of Criminal Division 1 (32nd class), and Choi Jae-hoon, Chief of Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 (34th class), will be replaced in this personnel reshuffle.