Park Chul-woo Retained as Chief of Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors Office Amid 192-Prosecutor Reshuffle

Key figures to take on major positions have been finalized ahead of the launch of the Public Prosecutors Office, which will strip the existing prosecution service of its investigative powers.

The Ministry of Justice announced today (September 29) that it has carried out a personnel reshuffle involving the transfer and new appointment of 192 prosecutors, effective October 2, when the Public Prosecutors Office officially launches.

The transfers target 27 prosecutor-level officials (chief prosecutor level) for the Public Prosecutors Office, 152 prosecutor-level officials (deputy chief prosecutor level) for regional public prosecutors offices, and 11 general prosecutors.

There are two new appointments at the Public Prosecutors Office prosecutor level.

Park Jin-sung (34th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), current head of planning at the Judicial Research and Institute, has been appointed as the inaugural head of the newly established Major Crimes Division, which integrates the Anti-Corruption Department—formerly directing major crime investigations at the Supreme Prosecutors Office—and the Narcotics and Organized Crime Department.

After completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute, Park Jin-sung began his public service at the Board of Audit and Inspection. He was appointed as a prosecutor in 2008, serving as head of the Anti-Corruption and 강력수사부장 (Anti-Corruption and Violent Crimes Investigation Division) at the Gwangju District Prosecutors Office, head of the Legal Science Analysis Division at the Supreme Prosecutors Office, and 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office, before being promoted to chief prosecutor in January of this year.

Additionally, Choi Ji-seok, current head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors Office, will take over as head of the Public Safety Department at the Public Prosecutors Office, while Lee Eung-cheol, head of the prosecution bureau at the Ministry of Justice, will serve as head of the Criminal Justice Bureau.

Joo Min-chul, current head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors Office, will become the inaugural head of the Daegu Regional Public Prosecutors Office, the successor to the Daegu High Prosecutors Office, where the position of high prosecutor is currently vacant. Seo Jung-min, current head of the Legal Affairs Office at the Ministry of Justice, will be appointed as the inaugural head of the Seoul Eastern District Public Prosecutors Office, the successor to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office, which will face a vacancy in its leadership as Chief Prosecutor Lim Eun-jung applies to join the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.

The heads of other regional and district public prosecutors offices were effectively retained as the current high prosecutors office and district prosecutors office chiefs remain in their posts.

Park Chul-woo, current Chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, will head the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors Office, while Kim Bong-hyun, current Chief of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office, will lead the Suwon District Public Prosecutors Office.

No appointments were made for the head of the Seoul Regional Public Prosecutors Office, the successor to the Seoul High Prosecutors Office where the post of high prosecutor is currently vacant, leaving the position vacant for the time being.

The Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors Office, which will shift from a four-deputy chief system to a three-deputy chief system, will see current 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-heon move to the Ministry of Justice as legal affairs deliberation officer.

Current 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon will become the 2nd deputy chief, and current 4th Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Seung-hyung will become the 3rd deputy chief.

Senior prosecutors have also been appointed to each district public prosecutors office for the department initially intended to be named the Judicial Control Division, which was finalized as the Non-Prosecution Review Division following controversy.

Lee Si-jeon, current head of the Human Rights Protection Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, will head the 1st Non-Prosecution Review Division at the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors Office, while Kim Jung-ok, current head of Public Investigation Division 3, will lead the 2nd division.

The newly established Major Crimes Indictment Divisions 1 through 6 at the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors Office will be headed by the current heads of Anti-Corruption Investigation Divisions 1 through 3, the Fair Trade Investigation Division, the Information Technology Crime Investigation Division, and the Tax Crime Investigation Division, respectively.

Two individuals have been newly appointed as Public Prosecutors Office prosecutors, a rank equivalent to existing chief prosecutors.

Kim Nam-hoon, current head of the Criminal Division at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office, has been appointed as head of the Legal Affairs Office at the Ministry of Justice, and Gu Tae-yeon, current prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office, has been appointed as head of planning at the Judicial Research and Training Institute.

Under the addenda to the Public Prosecutors Office Act, prosecutors of the former prosecution service automatically become prosecutors of the Public Prosecutors Office, and separate personnel appointments are not required in cases where only the name of the affiliated institution changes from the Prosecutors Office to the Public Prosecutors Office without changes to the organizational structure.

In contrast, personnel appointments are necessary if the organizational structure changes, such as when position titles are altered, departments are newly established, or names and affiliations are modified.

For example, the "Chief Prosecutor of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office" becomes the "Chief of the Suwon District Public Prosecutors Office," and the "Head of the Trial Division at the Daejeon District Prosecutors Office" becomes the "Head of the Trial and Litigation Division at the Daejeon District Public Prosecutors Office."

In addition, while the "Head of Criminal Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office" automatically becomes the "Head of Criminal Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutors Office" without a separate appointment, the "Head of the Proceeds of Crime Recovery Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office" requires a personnel appointment because the division is moving from under the 4th deputy chief to under the 3rd deputy chief.

The Ministry of Justice explained that this reshuffle was conducted in consideration of organizational restructuring and the transition of personnel to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, while keeping the scale to a minimum to ensure seamless duty performance and organizational stability during the initial launch phase.

The ministry added that middle-management prosecutors have been deployed to ensure that cases requiring continued handling for up to 90 days from the opening date of the Public Prosecutors Office under the addenda to the Criminal Procedure Act and the Public Prosecutors Office Act (including election cases nearing the statute of limitations) are concluded without disruption, and that senior prosecutors with abundant operational experience have been appointed to the newly established Non-Prosecution Review Division.

However, the ministry stated, "Considering that this is a temporary personnel reshuffle ahead of regular appointments, we prioritized internal reassignments and applied seniority placings flexibly."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.