Mun Moo-il picked as prosecutor general

By Jung Min-ho

Mun Moo-il

President Moon Jae-in picked Mun Moo-il, the head of the Busan High Prosecutors’ Office, as prosecutor general, Tuesday.

Cheong Wa Dae announced that Moon chose the 55-year-old out of the four candidates recommended to him by a special committee at the Ministry of Justice.

Since former Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam resigned in May amid calls for reform of the prosecution, the post has been empty.

The most critical task of the new prosecutor general will be regaining public trust by making the prosecution a more transparent, politically-independent institution — one of the key pledges of President Moon.

“Mun is known for his professionalism and gentle character, who is respected and trusted by other prosecutors,” presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said. “We believe he is the right person to stabilize and reform the prosecution.”

After graduating from Seoul’s Korea University with a bachelor’s degree in law, Moon joined the prosecution in 1989.

Throughout his 30-year-career, he has focused on investigating high-profile corruption cases, including the Sung Wan-jong scandal that forced former Prime Minister Lee Wan Koo to step down.

Also notably, after investigating the scandal, he indicted Hong Joon-pyo, a former presidential candidate and current leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, for allegedly taking bribes from the businessman among other suspects. Hong was found guilty of the charge in a first court ruling, but the verdict was overturned later by the Seoul High Court. He is now waiting a Supreme Court decision.

“Many prosecutor think highly of his performance,” Park said. “We concluded that he is the best person to eradicate corruption.”

Speaking to reporters at the Busan Prosecutors’ Office, Mun said he feels a great responsibility and promised to spearhead reform.

The National Assembly is expected hold a confirmation hearing soon.

If Justice Minister nominee Park Sang-ki, a professor at Yonsei University’s law school, survives a confirmation hearing at the Assembly, Mun is expected to embark on reform immediately.

Park has long insisted that the current system, in which prosecutors can not only investigate but also direct police investigations, is problematic and needs major reform.

For the task, President Moon promised mainly two things. First, he said he will remove all or part of the prosecution’s investigative powers. Also, he said he will set up an independent organization empowered to investigate and indict high-ranking government officials, including senior prosecutors.