Kim Jin-wook, senior researcher at the Constitutional Court (left) and Lee Kun-ri, vice-chairman of the National Rights Committee. [연합뉴스]
– On the 28th, the candidate recommendation committee for the head of the High-ranking Public Officials Crime Investigation Office (KPA) selected Kim Jin-wook (54, 21st Judicial Research and Training Institute) senior researcher at the Constitutional Court and Lee Kun-ri (57, 16th Judicial Research and Training Institute) vice-chairman of the National Rights Committee as two final candidates. Both candidates were recommended by the Korean Bar Association on the 9th of last month. Byunhyup recommended three candidates, including lawyer Han Myung-kwan, who resigned in the middle, and two of them were finally selected. The Korea Bar Association said on the day that “we welcome the decision of the recommendation committee to select an objective and neutral candidate for the head of airlift.”
Lee Kun-ri and Kim Jin-wook are both candidates for recommendation of the Korean Bar Association
President Moon Jae-in will soon nominate one finalist
– Researcher Jin-wook Kim, from Daegu, passed the judicial examination in 1989, worked as a judge for the Northern District of the Seoul District Court, and a judge for the Seoul District Court from 1997. He was appointed Constitutional Research Officer in 2010, and currently serves as a Senior Constitutional Research Officer and International Review Officer. He also worked as a special investigator during the special investigation of the 1999 Mint Corporation strike induction case.
Kim Jin-wook, former judge, worked as a special investigator
– In a paper published in the Journal of Law in May 2019, “Reviews on the Reasons for Impeachment of the President”, “The Constitutional Court concluded that former President Park Geun-hye’s actions were’violation of the principle of representative democracy’ and’damaging the spirit of the rule of law’, but he provided concrete arguments and explanations. It is regrettable that I did not do it.” Constitutional officials said, “Researchers are trained to always consider both left and right when making reports within the Constitutional Constitution. It will be advantageous in that they keep a neutral view.”
![Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae leaves the conference hall after finishing the 6th meeting of the Candidate Recommendation Committee for the Chief of the High-ranking Public Criminal Investigation Department held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the afternoon of the 28th. At the meeting, the recommendation committee selected Kim Jin-wook, senior researcher at the Constitutional Court, and Lee Kun-ri, vice-chairman of the National Rights Commission, as the first candidates for the Minister of Public Affairs. [연합뉴스]](https://i0.wp.com/pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202012/28/3bcede02-f779-4dee-bb7a-e9997aa6ef4a.jpg?w=900&ssl=1)
–
Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae leaves the conference hall after finishing the 6th meeting of the Candidate Recommendation Committee for the Chief of the High-ranking Public Criminal Investigation Department held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the afternoon of the 28th. At the meeting, the recommendation committee selected Kim Jin-wook, senior researcher at the Constitutional Court, and Lee Kun-ri, vice-chairman of the National Rights Commission, as the first candidates for the Minister of Public Affairs. [연합뉴스]
– Vice-chairman Lee Kun-ri, a former prosecutor, is classified as a’principalist’. He played a crucial role in admitting former Blue House Special Supervisor Kim Tae-woo as a public interest reporter in February of last year, and in raising the position of “corresponding to a conflict of interest” regarding the performance of the Minister of Justice’s position as Minister of Justice at the time when his wife was prosecuted in September of the same year. It is evaluated that he did it. In addition, it was interpreted as a conflict of interest that Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol had his defamation case investigated by the Seoul West District Prosecutors’ Office. Since then, he expressed his gratitude for leaving half of his three-year term in office in December last year, but it is said that he remained on the top of the rights and interests due to the pressure of the surrounding people.
Vice-chairman Lee Kun-ri, former prosecutor, is classified as a’principalist’
– After graduating from Jeonju and Seoul National University Law School, Vice Chairman Lee began his career as a prosecutor at the northern branch of the Seoul District Prosecutor’s Office in 1990. After passing through the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, he served as the Chief of the Information and Communication Division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the 6th Chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, and the Chief of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Court Tribunal and Service. An anecdote is also famous for the refusal of a rental car provided as courtesy at the prosecution’s retirement ceremony in 2013. It is said that it is because “there was no reason to get on a public car because I finished public service.” He served as the chairman of the May 18 Special Investigation Committee of the Ministry of National Defense, which was launched in September last year.
Attorney Jeon Hyun-jung (54, 22nd Judicial Research and Training Institute), who received five votes each with researcher Kim Jin-wook at the previous candidate nomination meeting, did not make the final candidate. At the time, Vice Chairman Lee received 4 votes. The former attorney recommended by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae is serving as an advisory attorney at KCL law firm after serving as chief judge of the Seoul Central District Law. However, it was pointed out as a weakness that the wife of Justice Kim Jae-hyung may have a’conflict of interest’.
The Minister of Public Service must have at least 15 years of experience as a judge, prosecutor, and attorney, and the retirement age is 65. After the president nominates one of the two candidates, it goes through the National Assembly personnel hearing procedure. After that, the agency is expected to be launched as early as next month after the recommendation of the deputy director, the formation of a personnel committee, and the appointment of a prosecutor for the investigation department.
Reporter Kim Minsang [email protected]
–
