South Korea's Ministry of Justice is struggling to fill the deputy chief post at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, even as the prosecutor general's seat has now been vacant for 14 months. Several prosecutors of chief-level rank have turned the job down, according to people familiar with the matter, prompting the view that reluctance to lead the prosecution service stems from the prospect of having to drop charges in cases involving President Lee Jae-myung.
The ministry approached several chief-level prosecutors about taking the deputy post to succeed Koo Ja-hyun, who submitted his resignation in late July, but most declined, legal sources said on the 7th. Koo's resignation has not been formally accepted, but he has effectively stepped away from his duties, leaving the prosecution service to operate for nearly two months under an acting deputy standing in for the acting prosecutor general.
Legal observers point to the question of withdrawing criminal charges against the president as the reason the search has stalled. If demands to drop the charges materialize, the prosecutor general or the acting chief would be drawn into the decision, taking on political exposure and potentially facing questions of legal liability later. "With talk that an attempt to drop the charges could come, not many people will want to take the deputy job," one legal source said.
The nomination of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won as justice minister has also heightened wariness inside the prosecution service. Kim has taken part in a group within the party that has argued for withdrawing the charges against Lee. On the 3rd, however, Kim said he "has no direct authority to drop the charges, nor any intention at this point of directing the prosecutor general to do so."
The prolonged leadership vacuum is also disrupting day-to-day operations, according to prosecutors. With the launch of a new prosecution agency set for next month, decisions on its organizational structure and staffing are under way, but communication between the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and district offices has been strained. "Even the draft structure for the new agency was not properly shared until recently. The vacancy at the top has created communication problems," one district chief prosecutor said.
