Public Nominations Close for Lee Jaemyung Administration's First Prosecutor General... Vice Minister Lee Jinsu Opts Out

The public nomination process to select the first Prosecutor General of the Lee Jaemyung administration and the inaugural head of the Prosecution Agency closed on the 21st.

For one week, from the 14th until 6 p.m. on the 21st, the Ministry of Justice accepted nominations from the public for people considered suitable to become the next Prosecutor General. This is the first appointment of a head of the prosecution service since the Lee Jaemyung administration took office. The post has been vacant for 1 year and 3 months since former Prosecutor General Shim Woojung left office in July last year. Nominees must be legal professionals with at least 15 years of experience in the legal field.

Yonhap News Agency

With the justice minister’s post currently vacant, Lee Jinsu (52, 29th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), the vice minister who is serving as acting minister, will oversee the process. Lee is expected to review the public nominations and other relevant information and present candidates for consideration to the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee. Even people not included on the public nomination list may be considered if they are deemed qualified. After reviewing the candidates, the committee will recommend at least three qualified nominees. Lee will then respect its recommendations and formally propose one final candidate to the president.

Moon Moomil, who served as the first Prosecutor General under the Moon Ja In administration, has been appointed chair of the committee, which will lead the review. Five ex officio members will also serve: Ki Woojong, deputy head of the National Court Administration; Kim Jungwook, president of the Korean Bar Association; Choi Bongkyung, president of the Korean Association of Law Schools; Kim Hyunsoo, chair of the board of the Korean Council for Law Education; and Lee Eungcheol, director general of criminal justice at the Ministry of Justice. Non-ex officio members include Moon, former Seoul National University vice president Yeo Jeongseong, Semyung University special appointment professor Shim Seoktae, and Baek Myungjae, director of the Seoul Western Smile Center.

Legal circles have cited Lee Junghyun (58, 27th class), acting Prosecutor General and deputy head of the Prosecution Agency; Park Chulwoo (55, 30th class), head of the Seoul Central District Prosecution Agency; and Sung Sangheon (53, 30th class), head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecution Agency, as leading potential candidates. As the existing Prosecution Service is being abolished and reorganized into the Prosecution Agency, substantially changing the organization’s character and functions, there is also speculation that an outsider with no background as a prosecutor could be appointed unexpectedly.

Lee Jinsu, who had been considered one of the leading potential candidates, announced early on that he would not seek the position to ensure a fair appointment process. It was confirmed that Lee informed Ministry of Justice staff on the 21st that he would not participate as a nominee even if nominated, saying, “The appointment process for the inaugural head of the Prosecution Agency needs to be conducted more fairly and transparently.” As acting minister, Lee plays key roles in putting forward candidates for consideration and formally proposing the final candidate, and his decision is seen as a measure to prevent potential conflicts of interest from arising.

It has typically taken around two weeks to a month after nominations close for the Candidate Recommendation Committee to convene in earnest. The identity of the inaugural head of the Prosecution Agency is therefore expected to become clear as early as the middle of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.