SEOUL – President Yoon Suk Yeol has appointed Shim Woo-jung, the current Vice Justice Minister, as the new Prosecutor General, announced the Presidential Office on Sunday. Shim, aged 53, is set to replace the outgoing Prosecutor General Lee One-seok next month, concluding Lee’s two-year term.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Shim Woo-jung’s extensive experience within the judiciary and his prior service in high-ranking positions such as in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, the Justice Ministry, and the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) underscore his readiness to lead the nation's prosecutorial services. "Shim has good knowledge of criminal procedures and the prosecution system, and has a firm belief about the establishment of the rule of law," Chung commented during a press briefing. Shim's appointment is pending a parliamentary confirmation, after which he will officially become the second prosecutor general under the Yoon administration.
The selection of Shim comes at a critical time for the South Korean judiciary, which has recently been involved in high-profile investigations, including those concerning first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul prosecution office have been publicly divided over the approach to questioning the first lady regarding allegations of receiving unlawful gifts and her involvement in a stock manipulation case. This division was further highlighted when it was revealed that Prosecutor General Lee One-seok was not promptly informed about the questioning of Kim Keon Hee by subordinate prosecutors.