"Chief Prosecutor" Appointments Imminent... Ministry of Justice Begins Personnel Verification Process

Senior Prosecutor Appointments Expected by End of Month...
Mid-level Prosecutor Reshuffle Possible Early Next Month
Internal Concerns of "Demotion-Style" Appointments
Number of Research Prosecutor Positions at Legal Research and Training Institute Increased

The Ministry of Justice has begun the personnel verification process for the promotion of prosecutors to the rank of chief prosecutor. There is speculation that, as early as this month, the ministry will carry out appointments of senior prosecutors, and then proceed with appointments of mid-level prosecutors (deputy chief prosecutors and chief prosecutors of divisions) during the regular reshuffle of rank-and-file prosecutors scheduled for early next month.

According to the legal community on January 7, the Ministry of Justice notified prosecutors from the 34th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, who are candidates for promotion to chief prosecutor, to submit their consent forms for personnel verification by January 9. Considering that the verification process typically takes about two to three weeks, the appointments of chief prosecutors are expected to take place around the end of this month.

Within the prosecution, there are predictions that this round of senior appointments may result in a significant reshuffle of current chief prosecutors. Given that the government recently increased the number of research prosecutor positions at the Legal Research and Training Institute from 12 to 23, it is possible that current chief prosecutors will be reassigned to the institute, while deputy chief prosecutors will be newly appointed as chief prosecutors. The position of research prosecutor at the institute is typically assigned to chief prosecutors who have effectively been sidelined.

Previously, in December of last year, the Ministry of Justice reassigned some chief prosecutors who had issued protest statements over the decision to forgo an appeal in the Daejang-dong development corruption case to research positions at the Legal Research and Training Institute.