Blue House appoints Yoon as chief prosecutor

Snubbing disapproval from major opposition parties, President Moon Jae-in appointed Yoon Seok-youl, a reform-minded veteran prosecutor, as the new prosecution chief on Tuesday.

The president authorized the appointment of Yoon as prosecutor general at around 2:40 p.m., according to Blue House spokesperson Ko Min-jung.

His two-year tenure, however, will begin on July 25, one day after Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il’s term is due to end, she added.

In June, President Moon, a former human rights lawyer, picked Yoon to lead the prosecution.

The choice was widely viewed as reflecting the president’s resolve to reform the influential organization, one of his key election pledges.

Yoon is known for having played a key role in looking into wrongdoings by the two former conservative Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations.

In his National Assembly confirmation hearing last week, Yoon faced a barrage of questions, mainly from opposition lawmakers, over allegations of his involvement in handling a corruption case involving the brother of his close colleague.

Conservative opposition parties refused to adopt a formal hearing report.

President Moon set Monday as the deadline for the National Assembly to send the report to him.

In Korea, the president’s pick for the top prosecution post does not require consent from lawmakers.

Yonhap