Two Prosecutors Receive One-Month Salary Reductions for Misconduct

Choi Jae-hyun, a prosecutor under investigation by the special prosecutor's team for allegations related to the mishandling of seized evidence, has received a one-month salary reduction as a disciplinary measure.

The Ministry of Justice announced on June 30 that it had imposed the penalty on Choi the previous day.

Choi was found to have failed to properly document the details of cash seized in plastic packaging and bound with a Shinhan Bank strap during an investigation into Jeon Seong-bae, known as "Geonjinbeopsa," on December 17, 2024. This oversight led to the deterioration and disposal of the packaging and strap.

Furthermore, despite being aware of the damage and disposal of the evidence on January 9, 2025, Choi did not report this to his superiors.

The Ministry of Justice concluded that Choi's actions constituted a violation of his duties as a prosecutor, warranting disciplinary action.

Previously, Choi had appeared before the special prosecutor's team for questioning but was not charged. The investigation confirmed deficiencies in the documentation of seized evidence but concluded that these were merely operational errors and not subject to punishment. However, the team requested disciplinary action from the Ministry of Justice for the mishandling of evidence and delayed reporting.

In a separate case, Ahn Mi-hyun, another prosecutor, has also been penalized with a one-month salary reduction for leaking exam questions during a law school class.

On November 20, 2025, Ahn exposed materials containing highlighted charges discussed during the final exam preparation for the Prosecutorial Practice I course at Hanyang University Law School on a classroom screen.

This incident raised concerns about fairness, leading to a retake of the final exam for the course.

Disciplinary measures for prosecutors can include dismissal, suspension, demotion, salary reduction, and reprimand, with suspensions and above typically classified as severe penalties.