hankyoreh

Shim Woo-jung, the vice minister of justice who has been tapped to be the new prosecutor general, makes a statement on his appointment on Aug. 11, 2024. (Kim Bong-gyu/Hankyoreh)

President Yoon Suk-yeol named current Vice Minister of Justice Shim Woo-jung to fill the role of prosecutor general once incumbent Lee One-seok’s term ends in September.

Chief of staff to the president Chung Jin-suk shared news of Shim’s nomination in a briefing Sunday at the presidential office in Yongsan.

Explaining the factors behind Shim’s selection, Chung described him as having “earned the profound trust of the prosecutors with his rational leadership, possessing a high level of knowledge of criminal procedures and the prosecutorial system as well as firm convictions about the establishment of the rule of law.”

The 53-year-old Shim is a graduate of the 26th class at the Judicial Research and Training Institute. Shim is considered an administrative specialist with a background of holding several key positions including director of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) criminal affairs and prosecution service divisions and planning and coordination bureau, as well as deputy chief prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. Prosecutors who are adept at administrative duties, in comparison to investigations, are politically savvy and have strengths in managing organizations.

He briefly worked with Yoon when the latter served as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in May 2017, when Shim was first deputy chief for criminal affairs. Kim Joo-hyun, the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, was his direct superior as criminal affairs bureau director when Shim was heading the MOJ prosecution service division in 2014.

Analysts read Yoon’s decision to select Shim on Sunday as the new prosecutor general as intended to ensure stable management of the prosecution service as he enters the second half of his term.

Shim has been considered the favorite since the nominating committee shortlisted four of its top prosecutors over the past week. Not only is he the only prosecutor with an administration background, but his personal connections also worked in his favor.

First is Shim’s relationship with Kim Joo-hyun, the senior secretary to the president for civil affairs. Since working together at the MOJ, their relationship has remained strong to this day, with the two known to communicate regularly with one another. Chung Jin-suk, the president’s chief of staff, is known to be close to Shim’s father, Sim Dae-pyung, who formerly served as the governor of South Chungcheong Province.

Yoon also demonstrated his trust in Shim late last year when the president appointed him as vice minister of justice following the resignations of Han Dong-hoon as minister of justice and Lee Roh-kong as vice minister of justice, making him the acting minister of justice.

As conflict is rife within the prosecution service over the methods used in the investigation of first lady Kim Keon-hee and tensions are high between the presidential office and the prosecutors, selecting Shim as the prosecutor general appeared to be Yoon’s safest bet.

“Shim’s been chosen so that the administration has an easier time managing stability within the prosecution service,” an official within the prosecution service told the Hankyoreh. 

Shim is the first prosecutor general with a more administrative background in the prosecution service to be appointed in 13 years, following the appointment of Han Sang-dae by President Lee Myung-bak in 2011.

He joins the ranks of Lee Chang-su, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office who was appointed in May in what many considered a move to protect the first lady from prosecutorial scrutiny, another prosecutor with administrative experience as senior secretary to the president for civil affairs during the Park Geun-hye administration and spokesperson for the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

This appointment signals a change away from daring appointments of those with special investigations division backgrounds by the Yoon administration as it hits the midway point of its term after butting heads with ruling party chief Han Dong-hoon and Prosecutor General Lee One-seok, both with the same special investigations background as Yoon. 

“The clout of candidates hailing from the special investigations division has dwindled with the deterioration of the president’s relationship with Han and Lee. The administration is in a rough patch and needs to keep a grip on the organization, which is why Shim was chosen for the role,” a close confidant of Yoon told the Hankyoreh. 

After arriving to work at the MOJ’s headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Shim told reporters, “I will do my best with all members of the prosecution to win the trust of the people.”

When asked about first lady Kim Keon-hee’s alleged involvement in the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case, he minced his words by saying, “I don’t think that it is appropriate to speak on specific cases.”

Shim did answer questions concerning the discreet offsite questioning of the first lady, stating, “I believe that members of the prosecution service are adhering to the law and principles when carrying out their duties.”

By Lee Seung-jun, staff reporter; Bae Ji-hyun, staff reporter

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