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Threat to rule of law
Posted : 2021-06-27 17:09
Government should not try to tame prosecutors
The Ministry of Justice conducted its biggest reshuffle involving 662 mid-level prosecutors Friday. Yet the ministry has come under attack for promoting pro-government prosecutors to key posts, while relegating to trivial posts the prosecutors spearheading investigations into alleged irregularities of the Moon Jae-in administration.
The reshuffle was apparently designed to prevent the prosecution from investigating allegations of wrongdoings involving core members of the political elite. All prosecutors who led such investigations were replaced. The government has virtually disbanded almost all of the probe teams that had been digging up dirt on President Moon s close aides and ranking officials.
Moon appoints new prosecutor general
Jun 01, 2021, 08:51 am
Kim Oh-soo, who has been appointed as the new prosecutor general by President Moon Jae-in, arrives to attend his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 31, 2021./ Source: Yonhap
AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae
President Moon Jae-in approved the appointment of Kim Oh-soo as the new prosecutor general on Monday. Kim has become the 33rd minister-level official in the Moon administration to take office without the consent of the opposition party.
The president authorized the appointment of Kim as prosecutor general at around 5 p.m. and Kim’s tenure is to start on Tuesday, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.
May 10, 2021 13:37
President Moon Jae-in is facing criticism even from within the ruling party after revelations that candidates he nominated for ministerial posts are accused of wrongdoing, but he has refused to replace Kim Oe-sook, his senior secretary for personnel affairs. Kim is part of Moon s inner circle and widely expected to be safe in her job until Moon s term ends next year. She was appointed in May 2019 and has been responsible for some of the worst personnel disasters, including fly-by-night Justice Minister Cho Kuk, his successor Choo Mi-ae, and the presidential secretaries for civil affairs Kim Jo-won, Kim Jong-ho and Shin Hyun-soo, who all left in disgrace when public discontent became too great.