Search begins for first head of new prosecution office

The formal process to select the first head of the newly established Public Prosecution Service has begun.

The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday it had formed a prosecutor general candidate recommendation committee to identify nominees for the inaugural post. Former Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il will chair the panel, and public recommendations will be accepted from Wednesday through Oct. 21.

The committee comprises nine members in total, including Moon. Five serve as ex officio members and four as non-ex officio members.

The ex officio members are Ki Woo-jong, deputy administrator of the Court Administration Office; Kim Jeong-uk, chairman of the Korean Bar Association; Choi Bong-gyeong, president of the Korean Association of Law Professors; Kim Hyun-su, chairman of the Law School Association; and Lee Eung-cheol, director of the Ministry of Justice's Criminal Justice Bureau.

The non-ex officio members are Moon, the committee chair; Yeo Jeong-seong, former vice president of Seoul National University; Shim Seok-tae, special professor at Semyung University; and Baek Myeong-jae, director of the Seoul West Smile Center.

Acting Justice Minister and Vice Minister Lee Jin-su said Moon was appointed committee chair in recognition of his experience and standing in society.

The Ministry of Justice will accept public recommendations for prosecutor general candidates from Wednesday through Oct. 21. Any individual, corporation or organization may submit the name of a person they consider suitable for the post.

Candidates must have at least 15 years of experience in the legal profession as a judge, prosecutor or attorney. Experience working in legal affairs at a state agency or public institution while holding a bar license, or serving as an assistant professor of law or above at a university, also qualifies.

Recommendations must be submitted in writing and will be kept confidential; email and fax submissions are not accepted. Recommenders must include the nominee's key career history and reasons for the recommendation, and submit the materials to the Ministry of Justice in person or by mail by 6 p.m. on Oct. 21.

Once the public recommendation period closes, the justice minister will present a list of candidates to the committee based on the submissions received. The committee will then assess each candidate's qualifications and recommend at least three names to the minister.

The minister will respect the committee's recommendations and formally nominate one candidate for prosecutor general. That nominee will then go through a National Assembly confirmation hearing before being appointed by the president.