Government Moves to Fill Supreme Court, Prosecutor General Vacancies

It was reported yesterday that one among lawyer Park Si-hwan (who passed the 21st national bar exam), Judicial Research and Training Institute judicial researcher Kim Ji-hyeong (who passed the 21th national bar exam), and Supreme Court Library of Korea head Sohn Yong-geun (who passed the 17th national bar exam), and one among Daegu District Court head Kim Jin-ki, Supreme Court Administration Office deputy chief Kim Hwang-sik, and Suwon District Court head Lee Hong-hun, (all three of whom passed the 14th national bar exam), will be nominated for two out of three Supreme Court Justice candidate openings.

Candidates for New Supreme Court Justice Openings-

After singling out three out of nine candidates who were recommended on October 17 from the Advisory Committee for Supreme Court Justice Nomination (ACSCJN), Lee Yong-hun, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, will submit his recommendations for the Supreme Court Justice openings to President Roh Moo-hyun on October 19.

According to a Supreme Court official, lawyer Park is almost certain to be appointed as a new Supreme Court Justice.

One out of judicial researcher Kim and Supreme Court Library of Korea’s head Sohn has reportedly been nominated as the new Supreme Court Justice candidate from the quota of Supreme Court Justice candidates chosen from non-Seoul National University (SNU) graduates. Currently, there is no Supreme Court Justice who is a non-SNU graduate, and among the candidates who were recommended from the ACSCJN, the two are the only candidates who are non-SNU graduates.

Regarding the remaining candidate, the official said, “Chances are high that a person who can persuade figures within the Supreme Court will be appointed.”

Supreme Court officials expect Daegu District Court head Kim, Supreme Court Administration Office deputy head Kim, and Suwon District Court head Lee, all of whom passed the national bar exam earlier than other candidates, to be possible candidates.

Among them, the one who failed to be nominated as a new Supreme Court Justice candidate is likely to be appointed as the acting head of the Supreme Court Administration Office.

Candidates for New Prosecutor General-

It was reported yesterday that Cheong Wa Dae will hold a personnel recommendation committee meeting in order to tentatively appoint a new prosecutor general on October 20.

President Roh Moo-hyun will reportedly meet with Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae to discuss the matter of replacing the prosecutor general on October 19.

A ruling party official said, “The Presidential Office for Civil Affairs is reviewing candidates for the top prosecutor post,” adding, “It will not take long to select a proper figure.”

The official said that many expressed that the prosecution system should be stabilized as soon as possible, given that the prosecution is currently probing into significant cases, including the bugging scandal involving the National Security Planning Agency.

Among the candidates from outside the prosecution for the top prosecutor post are former Legal Research and Training Institute head Jeong Hong-won (who passed the 14th national bar exam), former Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office head Jeong Jin-gyu (who passed the 15th national bar exam), former Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office deputy head Lee Jeong-su (who passed the 15th national bar exam), and Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption secretariat head Kim Seong-ho (who passed the 16th national bar exam).

Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office chief Seo Young-je and Legal Research and Training Institute head Lim Nae-hyeon, both of whom passed the 16th national bar exam, are on the candidate list within the prosecution.

Regarding this matter, in an interview with a radio broadcast’s current affairs program on October 17, Chun Jung-bae, the Justice Minister, said, “There is the possibility of an additional reshuffling of personnel in the prosecution following the replacement of the prosecutor general, but I don’t anticipate it,” hinting that he is putting more weight on the stability of the prosecution.

Ji-Seong Jeon verso@donga.com jin0619@donga.com