Interim Prosecutor General Named

It was reported yesterday that Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office Deputy Chief Jeong Sang-myeong (55) has been tentatively appointed as a new top prosecutor to succeed former Prosecutor General Kim Jong-bin.

A Cheong Wa Dae official yesterday said, “We reached an agreement that Jeong is a proper figure to stabilize the prosecution system after gathering various views over the replacement of Kim.”

Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Man-soo said, “The replacement of Kim will be revealed roughly early next week through discussions in accordance with Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae’s recommendation. A new prosecutor general is supposed to be named through a National Assembly’s confirmation hearing.”

At the beginning of the Roh Moo-hyun administration, Jeong was appointed as vice justice minister by then justice minister Kang Geum-sil.

Jeong and the president both passed the 17th national bar exam. If Jeong is appointed as the top prosecutor, some of his senior figures and some who passed the 17th national bar exam will likely resign, which will probably lead to an additional reshuffle of personnel in the prosecution system.

Currently, among prosecution executives, the most senior figures who passed the 16th national bar exam are Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office Chief Seo Young-je and Lim Nae-hyeon, head of the Legal Research and Training Institute. Those who passed the 17th national bar exam are: besides Jeong Sang-myeong, Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office Chief Ahn Dae-hui, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office Lee Jong-baek, the head of the Uijeongbu Prosecutors’ Office Yu Seong-su, and Suwon Prosecutors’ Office head Lee Gi-bae.

Jeong was born in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province and has served as Dongbu branch office head of the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office, Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office head and vice justice minister after graduating from Gyeongbuk High School and Seoul National University’s law department.

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com