Several district prosecutors' chiefs who posted demands for an explanation regarding last month's "Daejang-dong appeal waiver" controversy have received demotion-like personnel transfers. The Ministry of Justice stated the moves were "to establish discipline and reform the atmosphere in the prosecution by reassigning senior prosecutors who damaged organizational reputation through inappropriate expressions."
On January 11, the Ministry of Justice announced personnel changes effective January 15, including new appointments for four senior prosecutors and transfers for four others. Among the 18 prosecutors' chiefs who wrote posts on the prosecution's internal network (E-Pros) demanding clarification of facts regarding the Daejang-dong appeal waiver controversy, Park Hyuk-soo of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, Kim Chang-jin of Busan District Prosecutors' Office, and Park Hyun-chul of Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office were reassigned to researcher positions at the Justice Training Institute, considered a sidelined post. Following the late afternoon announcement, Kim and Park decided to submit their resignations.
Prosecutor Jeong Yu-mi of Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, who also posted opposing the Daejang-dong appeal waiver, was demoted from Supreme Prosecutors' Office grade to High Prosecutors' Office grade, also being transferred to the Justice Training Institute.
The 18 prosecutors' chiefs had posted under the title "Requesting additional explanation from the Acting Prosecutor General," demanding an account of the circumstances surrounding the Daejang-dong appeal waiver case. The names of Kim Tae-hoon of Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office and Lim Eun-jung of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office were not included.
While the statement demanding explanation was a protest against former Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok, controversy expanded within the prosecution with continued criticism of Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho. When reporters asked Minister Jeong whether he would discipline the prosecutors who protested, he replied, "I am considering what would be the best approach."
As internal sentiment grew unsettled, Park Jae-eok, chief of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office who had joined the protest against the appeal waiver, expressed his intention to resign on December 17. On the same day, Song Kang, chief of Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office, also submitted his resignation to the Ministry of Justice, appearing to bring the matter to a close.
Kim Bong-hyun, prosecutor at Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office, was appointed to fill the vacant Suwon District Prosecutors' Office chief position. Jeong Ji-young, chief of Goyang Branch Office, and Kim Nam-soon, prosecutor at Ulsan Branch of Busan High Prosecutors' Office, will assume the positions of Daegu and Busan district prosecutors' chiefs, respectively. Kim Jong-woo, chief of Bucheon Branch Office who indicted former President Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of leading an insurrection, was promoted to chief of Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office.
The Ministry of Justice stated, "This personnel action, including reassigning senior prosecutors who caused misunderstanding about the political neutrality and fairness of the prosecution in their work performance and repeatedly criticized internal members with inappropriate expressions thereby damaging organizational reputation and trust, is aimed at establishing discipline and reforming the atmosphere within the prosecution organization."
