By Kim Hyun-bin
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is expected to carry out a major reshuffle of its key personnel soon.
The Ministry of Justice is putting the final touches on a list of candidates who would be replacing previous senior and district prosecutors appointed by former conservative administrations.
They will announce the replacements this week. About 10 prosecutors are likely to be promoted in the process.
This is seen to reinforce the Moon Jae-in administration's move to reform and root out corruption within the prosecution.
Last Wednesday's local election, which was dominated by liberals, has become a driving force for the Moon administration.
“The government believes there needs to be personnel changes in the prosecution,” a legal source said.
Cho Hee-jin, the nation's first female chief prosecutor at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, and four other district prosecutors will resign.
“Looking at the structure of the prosecution, high-ranking officials need to make room for juniors to move up the ladder,” Cho said. “I have thought it through and decided to resign.”
Cho has been the leading female figure in the prosecution. She was part of a team leading an internal probe into the sexual harassment scandal involving prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun and her male boss.
With Cho's resignation, the ratio of female prosecutors in key posts will drop even further. Currently, there are 40 senior prosecutors but only two are female.
Gong Sang-hoon, head of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, and Ahn Sang-don, head of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office, have expressed their willingness to resign. Earlier last week, Kim Kang-wook, head of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, also said he would resign.
“I am leaving the prosecution. I have worked as a prosecutor for 28 years and four months thanks to my colleagues,” Gong wrote on the prosecutors' office intranet.
Ahn said he is sorry to leave during an important moment for the prosecution.