Justice minister nominee seasoned ex-prosecutor with close ties to Yoon
Justice Minister nominee Park Sung-jae leaves the presidential office after delivering remark on his nomination, Seoul, Jan. 23. Yonhap
Justice Minister nominee Park Sung-jae is a seasoned former prosecutor who previously served as chief at two of the country's key prosecution offices and is known to be on close terms with President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The 61-year-old Park, who graduated from Korea University with a bachelor's degree in law, is also highly regarded for his investigations into corporate crimes conducted while heading a financial investigation division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office.
Investigations that he participated in included an illegal share transfer case involving former Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.
In 2015, Park was promoted to chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, known as the second most important job in the prosecution. He then served as the head of the Seoul High Prosecutors Office from 2015-2017 and was once considered a candidate for the position of prosecutor general.
Park is reported to have a close relationship with the prosecutor-turned-President Yoon, as they worked together at the district prosecutors office in the southern city of Daegu during Yoon's early years as a prosecutor.
Park was serving as the head of the Daegu High Prosecutors Office when Yoon was demoted to serve as a rank-and-file prosecutor at the office in 2014 following a controversy involving a politically sensitive investigation. (Yonhap)