The first prosecutor appointments ahead of the launch of the new prosecution office emphasize the importance of continuity with the existing leadership and experienced investigative officials. Of the 18 local prosecution offices nationwide, 17 will be led by the current district chiefs, while prosecutors who previously handled anti-corruption and financial crime investigations will transition to roles focused on indictments and reviewing investigation results.
On September 29, the Ministry of Justice announced the appointment of 192 prosecutors, including two new assignments and 190 transfers. The effective date for these appointments is October 2, when the new prosecution office opens. The changes also include adjustments in job titles and departmental affiliations, but not all appointees will be relocating.
A notable aspect of this appointment is the assignment of key investigative chiefs to the indictment divisions. The heads of the first to third anti-corruption investigation divisions at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office—Kook Won, Lee Sang-hyuk, and Kim Jin-yong—will each take charge of the serious crime indictment divisions 1 to 3 at the Seoul Central Prosecution Office. Na Hee-seok, head of the Fair Trade Investigation Division, Park Kyung-taek, head of the Information Technology Crime Investigation Division, and Yong Tae-ho, head of the Tax Crime Investigation Division, will also move to serious crime indictment divisions 4 to 6.
The Southern District Prosecutors' Office, which has been handling financial crime investigations, will see Shin Dong-hwan, head of the Financial and Securities Crime Joint Investigation Division, Kim Min-gu, head of Financial Investigation Division 1, and Kim Yong-je, head of the Virtual Asset Crime Joint Investigation Division, assigned to serious crime indictment divisions 1 to 3. This restructuring maintains experienced officials in the new indictment organization while reorganizing the investigative focus.
The turnover among local prosecution office leadership is minimal. Park Cheol-woo, the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, will lead the corresponding local prosecution office, along with 17 other district chiefs. Seo Jeong-min, head of the Ministry of Justice's Legal Affairs Office, will succeed Lim Eun-jung, who is set to lead the Eastern Seoul Serious Crime Investigation Office. This approach minimizes changes in leadership during the organizational transition.
In the non-prosecution review division, which examines cases that police have decided not to forward to the prosecution, 13 chief prosecutors have been assigned across 12 local prosecution offices. Two will be based at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, with one assigned to each of the remaining 11 offices.
At the Seoul Central Prosecution Office, Lee Si-jeon, head of the Human Rights Protection Division, will lead the non-prosecution review division 1, while Kim Jeong-ok, head of the Public Prosecution Division 3, will take charge of division 2. The heads of the Human Rights Protection Division at Suwon, Daejeon, Busan, and Gwangju local prosecution offices will also lead their respective non-prosecution review divisions. Kim Tae-gyeom, head of Financial Investigation Division 2 at the Southern District Prosecution Office, and Yoo Byeong-guk, head of the International Crime Investigation Division in Incheon, will also transition to the non-prosecution review divisions. This arrangement utilizes both human rights protection and investigative experience.
The main investigative leadership at the central office will undergo restructuring. Joo Min-cheol, head of the Anti-Corruption Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, will move to the Daegu Local Prosecution Office as its chief, while Park Jin-sung, head of the Planning Division at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, will take over as head of the serious crime division at the new prosecution office. Choi Ji-seok, head of the Public Prosecution Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, will be appointed as the head of the Public Safety Division at the new prosecution office. Kim Nam-hoon, head of the Criminal Division at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, and Koo Tae-yeon, a prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, will be newly appointed as head of the Legal Affairs Office at the Ministry of Justice and head of the Planning Division at the Judicial Research and Training Institute, respectively.
This appointment is a temporary measure until regular appointments are made. The Ministry of Justice stated that it prioritized internal reassignments and applied flexible measures regarding the judicial training institute's class. It explained that interim appointments were made to ensure the completion of cases requiring continued duty for up to 90 days from the opening date, in accordance with legal provisions for time-sensitive election cases.
The Ministry of Justice noted, "To ensure seamless operations and organizational stability during the initial launch, the scale of appointments has been minimized." While the appointments consider the completion of existing cases and the transition to new indictment and review duties, assessing whether the workload and personnel distribution are appropriate will be a task following the launch.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.