Yoon names old prosecutor colleague as new justice minister

Politics

Published: 23 Jan. 2024, 16:55

Yoon names old prosecutor colleague as new justice minister

Park Sung-jae, a former head of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, speaks at a press briefing at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul after he is nominated as new justice minister on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol tapped Park Sung-jae, a lawyer and former head of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, as his new justice minister on Tuesday.

Park began his career as a prosecutor in 1991 and retired in 2017 after serving in key posts at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, presidential chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup said in a briefing.

The post has been vacant since Han Dong-hoon, Yoon's first justice minister, stepped down last month to helm the People Power Party (PPP) interim leadership committee ahead of the general elections in April.

Park will "inherit the criminal justice reform promoted by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and uphold constitutional values in the legal system," Lee said.

Lee noted that Park, throughout his career in public office, has had a reputation for persevering in his work "based on his principles with a strict character and strong sense of responsibility."

A native of North Gyeongsang, Park graduated from Korea University with a bachelor's degree in law and passed the national bar exam in 1985.

Park notably was Yoon's senior colleague in the prosecution, having served as chief of the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office during Yoon's time working there from 2014 to 2015 due to a demotion.

But their ties date back to the mid-1990s, when they both worked at the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, and Yoon was still a newbie prosecutor. The two are reported to have built a trusting working relationship over the years.

While serving in the tax investigation department at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Park handled major stock price manipulation cases and was recognized for his ability to crack down on corporations.

The latest nomination comes despite criticism over Yoon's tendency to appoint personal acquaintances from the prosecution.

"If appointed, I will do my best to fairly enforce the law to earn the public's trust, ensure the safety of the people's lives and protect human rights," Park said at the press briefing at the Yongsan presidential office.

Minister nominees must undergo a confirmation hearing process in the National Assembly but do not need parliamentary approval to be appointed by the president.

This latest nomination marks a wrap to a weekslong, wide-ranging reshuffle of Yoon's Cabinet.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]