Lee Jin-soo, currently serving as the Acting Minister of Justice, has continued in his role for three months after submitting his resignation at the end of July due to health issues.
According to legal sources on October 26, Lee expressed his intention to remain in office until a new minister is appointed to avoid a situation where both the minister and deputy minister are absent.
Lee's resignation came at a time when the Democratic Party was pushing for amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act that would eliminate supplementary investigative powers. He stated, "If supplementary investigations are abolished without effective alternatives, it will only deepen the gap in protecting the rights of crime victims." However, he cited health issues as the reason for his resignation.
Former Minister Jeong Seong-ho publicly announced his resignation in late July as discussions on abolishing supplementary investigative powers intensified. He submitted his resignation letter on August 18, which was accepted on August 24, and he officially stepped down on August 26, taking about a month from his announcement to his departure.
Jeong had argued for the necessity of maintaining supplementary investigative powers and expressed concerns about the potential negative impacts of the proposed amendments. After submitting his resignation, he emphasized the need to assess the adverse effects of the amendments before implementation and to address any issues that arise promptly. Koo Ja-hyun, who served as the Acting Attorney General, resigned on July 31, the same day the amendment passed the National Assembly.
Following Jeong's departure, the process to appoint a successor has faced delays, prolonging Lee's tenure as acting minister. Kim Seung-won, who was nominated as Jeong's successor, withdrew from consideration last month amid allegations related to a COVID-19 drug clinical trial.
Lee has previously indicated that he would not participate in the subsequent review process even if he were nominated as Attorney General. He has also expressed his intention to resign from his deputy minister position.
Lee, a graduate of the 29th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, began his career as a prosecutor at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office in Seoul in 2000. He has held various positions, including Legal Advisor at the Ministry of Justice, Chief of the Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Chief Prosecutor of the Northern District Prosecutors' Office, and Head of the Criminal Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, before being appointed as Deputy Minister of Justice in June of last year. He is regarded as a prosecutor with extensive experience in criminal investigations and legal administration.
Lee's resignation is expected to be processed after the new minister is appointed. President Yoon Suk-yeol is reportedly narrowing down candidates for the next Minister of Justice to Park Kyun-taek and Yang Boo-nam for final review.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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