The South Korean Ministry of Justice announced the formation of a Prosecution Service Chief Candidate Recommendation Committee to select the inaugural head of the newly established Prosecution Service, a post remaining vacant after former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung stepped down over a year ago.
The Bottom Line
- Committee Leadership: Former Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il will chair the candidate recommendation committee.
- Public Window: The Ministry of Justice will accept public nominations for candidates with at least 15 years of legal experience from October 14 through October 21.
- Pending Timeline: The full appointment process, including National Assembly confirmation hearings, is projected to take approximately two months.
Formation of the Recommendation Committee
The Ministry of Justice detailed the roster for the newly constituted panel on October 13. Former Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il heads the committee as a non-official member.
Ex-officio members comprise Court Administration Office Deputy Director Ki Woo-jung, Korean Bar Association President Kim Jung-wook, Korean Association of Law Professors President Choi Bong-kyung, Korea Law School Association Chairman Kim Hyun-soo, and Ministry of Justice Criminal Justice Bureau Director Lee Eun-chul. Following the dissolution of the traditional Prosecutor’s Office on October 2, the newly restructured Prosecution Service retains the statutory title of Prosecutor General for its top post due to constitutional requirements, though the organization’s formal name now reflects its focus on indictment and trial maintenance.
Public Nomination Protocol and Appointment Timeline
Between October 14 and October 21, the Ministry of Justice will accept public recommendations for the two-year term. Any individual may submit a written recommendation—excluding faxes and emails—for candidates holding a minimum of 15 years of legal career experience. Submissions remain confidential.
The Ministry will review the recommendations and present viable screening candidates to the committee. After conducting verifications, the committee will forward at least three candidates to Acting Justice Minister and Vice Minister Lee Jin-soo. The Minister will then recommend a single candidate to the President. Following the presidential designation, the nominee must clear a National Assembly personnel hearing before final appointment. The entire administrative sequence spans an estimated two months, during which the office has remained vacant for 1 year and 4 months.
| Process Stage | Key Actor / Body | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Public Nominations | General Public / Ministry of Justice | October 14 – October 21 |
| Candidate Screening | Recommendation Committee (Chair: Moon Moo-il) | Following public submission window |
| Ministerial Recommendation | Acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo | Post-committee verification |
| Final Appointment | President & National Assembly | Approx. 2 months total duration |
Candidate Pool and Legal Challenges Ahead
Legal circles note that several senior figures are currently discussed as potential contenders for the administration's first Prosecution Service head.
Legal observers emphasize that the incoming chief faces an immediate test regarding whether to maintain or withdraw indictments in high-profile criminal cases involving President Lee Jae-myung, including the Ssangbangwool illegal North Korea remittance case. Meanwhile, President Lee addressed governance structures during a cabinet meeting, defending the presence of agency heads—such as Acting Prosecutor General Lee, Acting Major Crimes Investigation Agency Chief Jung Jeong-min, and Acting National Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Jong-chul—at cabinet sessions.
“State administration is under the jurisdiction of the President and the Prime Minister, and it is very important to share the general direction and policy of state affairs,” President Lee stated during the cabinet meeting, adding that the arrangement aligns with the Government Organization Act and the Constitution while maintaining that he does not interfere with individual case processing.
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