South Korea's special prosecutor post remains vacant after a decade; appointment urged

South Korea's Democratic Party has nominated lawyer Choi Gil-soo as a candidate for the long-vacant special prosecutor position. The party aims to complete the nomination and confirmation process by August, ahead of the National Assembly's regular session in September. The special prosecutor's office is mandated by law to investigate alleged misconduct by the president's spouse, relatives within four degrees of kinship, and public officials at the level of presidential senior secretary or higher.

The nomination process requires the National Assembly to recommend three candidates to the president. The People Power Party had previously recommended lawyer Kang Ji-shik in April. With Choi's nomination by the Democratic Party, the Korean Bar Association is expected to recommend one more candidate, completing the recommendation phase. Choi Gil-soo, a former prosecutor, has a career history that includes roles in special investigations and audits, and he was previously recommended as a candidate by the now-opposition Bareunmirae Party during the Moon Jae-in administration.

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We will aim to complete the confirmation process within August.

The article highlights the historical significance of the special prosecutor system, established in 2015 to combat corruption among the president's relatives and associates. It points to past administrations, including Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in, and Yoon Suk-yeol, for deliberately delaying appointments, thereby weakening the system. The piece cites examples of scandals under these presidencies, such as the Choi Soon-sil state affairs manipulation case, alleged preferential hiring of a presidential son-in-law, and accusations of the first lady's involvement in state affairs, as reasons why the special prosecutor's oversight is crucial.

President Lee Jae-myung has previously acknowledged the potential inconvenience but stressed the importance of the role in preventing future misfortunes for himself and his family. The article concludes by urging the president to demonstrate the sincerity of these words by nominating a candidate who meets public expectations and ensuring their independent investigative activities.

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Although it would be inconvenient to have a special prosecutor, it is important to prevent misfortunes for myself and my family.