The Korean Bar Association has recommended Choi Yong-hoon, a lawyer from K1 Chambers and a graduate of the 27th Judicial Research and Training Institute, as a candidate for Special Inspector.
According to the legal community on the 14th, the Bar Association decided the previous day to nominate Choi as its candidate for the Special Inspector position.
Choi served as a prosecutor for 24 years after being appointed to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office following his training at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. He has held various positions, including prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, as well as the Director of Human Rights Policy at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. He has been practicing law since 2022.
Choi's father, former prosecutor Choi Hwan, played a crucial role in revealing the torture case of Park Jong-chul by ordering an autopsy against police efforts to hastily cremate the body.
The Special Inspector's role is to oversee the President's spouse, relatives within the fourth degree, and senior officials at the Blue House.
The position was established during the Park Geun-hye administration but remained vacant for ten years after the first Special Inspector, Lee Seok-soo, stepped down in September 2016, with no appointments made during the administrations of Moon Jae-in and Yoon Suk-yeol.
In July of last year, President Lee Jae-myung instructed his aides to push for the appointment of a Special Inspector, and the process began when he requested the National Assembly for an appointment in April.
The National Assembly will recommend three candidates from among legal professionals who have practiced law for over 15 years, from which the President will appoint one.
The nominated candidate will then undergo a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly before being appointed.
Previously, the People Power Party recommended prosecutor Kang Ji-sik (27th Judicial Research and Training Institute) in April, while the Democratic Party nominated prosecutor Choi Gil-soo (23rd Judicial Research and Training Institute) last month.
The Democratic Party aims to complete the confirmation process by the end of August, before the regular session of the National Assembly.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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