Signs of Repeating Standoff Over Drastic Reshuffle of the Prosecution

It has been known that the government on Mar. 10 unofficially decided to appoint the Daegu High Public Prosecutors’ Office chief Song Kwang-soo (the thirteenth class of the bar examination) as the thirtieth Prosecutor General. If the announcement of the appointment is officially made, Song Kwang-soo takes office as Korea’s the first prosecutor general after being reviewed by his qualification through a parliamentary confirmation hearing.

On the same day, Kang Kum-sil, new Justice Minister, notified prosecutor’s offices across the nation that as the Daegu High Public Prosecutors’ Office chief was unofficially named as new prosecutor general, she will carry out a reshuffle of high public prosecutor’s office chiefs and senior prosecution officials, including the Seoul Public Prosecutor’s Office chief which now remains vacant, around 4 p.m. on Mar. 11.

Meanwhile, deputy chief of the Supreme prosecutor’s office Kim Hak-jae(the thirteenth class), chief of the Seoul district prosecutor’s office Yoo Chang-jong(the fourteenth class), and deputy chief of the Daegu district prosecutor’s office Kim Gin-whan are expected to express their resignations soon or later, sources said.

However, it has been known that chief of the Seoul district prosecutor’s office Yoo has not decided yet to leave the prosecution or not after his colleagues persuaded him to stay in office.

Recently, Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office prosecutor Kim Won-chi has put up his written opinion criticizing Justice minister’s drastic reshuffling plan for the prosecution on the in-house website and most of senior prosecutors who failed to be promoted to higher posts held back their resignation offers. Against this backdrop, the standoff between the government and the prosecution is likely to take a new turn as prosecutor chiefs are joining forces with other junior prosecutors in protest against the reshuffling plan.

It has been reported that as appointments of senior prosecutors are just around corner, most chief prosecutors, including two prosecution chiefs who passed the thirteenth bar examination with newly appointed prosecutor general Song, are expressing their opposition to the drastic reshuffling plan, saying, “Until a fair reshuffle of the prosecution is carried out, we will not tender our resignations.”

As a result, although the Justice Ministry is planning to announce a reshuffle of senior prosecutors on Mar.11, if most prosecution chiefs do not yield to new appointments and procedures, it is highly likely that the controversy surrounding a reshuffling plan for the prosecution will enter into a new phase in which most prosecutors will hold back their resignations. In that case, President Roh Moo-hyun’s reform drive to break the time-honored seniority system in the prosecution is likely to face difficulties, including promotions of chief prosecutors coming to a deadlock.

High-ranking officials at the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office Mar.10 said that most prosecution chiefs have expressed their willingness to delay offering their resignations until an acceptable reshuffle is carried out.

However, Justice Minister Kang said in a meeting with reporters at the Justice Ministry building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggido, “I don’t know the exact number yet, but as long as I have been reported, the 13 class prosecutors in the Supreme prosecutor’s office expressed their willingness to tender their resignations,” adding that the ministry has been informing prosecutors individually of their promotions to higher positions.

Chief prosecutors at 24 Seoul district prosecution offices called off a prosecutors’ meeting scheduled for Mar. 10, at 2 p.m. As a result, it is expected junior prosecutors’ collective group action will be in a momentary lull or lose the steam.

Meanwhile, former prosecutor general Kim Kak-jung retired from office after a farewell ceremony at the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office building at Seochodong, downtown Seoul.

Wi-Yong Jung viyonz@donga.com