Three special counsels to launch in early July

Jun 12, 2025, 07:29 pm

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On June 12, the Democratic Party nominated three candidates for the special counsel roles under the newly enacted laws: Cho Eun-seok, former acting chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection; Min Jung-gi, former chief judge at Seoul Central District Court; and Lee Yoon-je, professor at Myongji University. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung’s administration is accelerating its prosecutorial reform drive as it moves to launch three special counsel investigations targeting major controversies from the previous Yoon Suk-yeol government. On June 12, just a day after the official promulgation of the so-called “three special counsel laws,” Lee formally requested candidate nominations from opposition parties.

The three investigations—into former First Lady Kim Keon-hee, the alleged insurrection conspiracy, and the death of military recruit Pvt. Chae—were part of the first legislative package approved by President Lee’s cabinet. The swift action signals Lee’s intent to quickly wrap up politically sensitive probes and shift his administration’s focus to urgent economic and diplomatic matters.

At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said, “Following the appointment notice for the three special counsel laws received from National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, the president immediately requested candidate recommendations from the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party.”

Later that afternoon, both parties submitted a total of six candidates. The Democratic Party nominated Cho Eun-seok, former acting chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection; Min Jung-gi, former chief judge at the Seoul Central District Court; and Lee Yoon-je, a professor at Myongji University. The Rebuilding Korea Party recommended Han Dong-soo, former chief of inspection at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office; Shim Jae-cheol, former director-general of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Justice; and Lee Myung-hyun, former senior military prosecutor.

President Lee will appoint one special counsel for each case from among the six nominees. Once the appointments are made, the special counsel teams are expected to begin formal investigations as early as early July.

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Also on June 12, the Rebuilding Korea Party nominated its own set of special counsel candidates: Han Dong-soo, former chief inspector at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office; Shim Jae-cheol, former Criminal Affairs Bureau chief at the Ministry of Justice; and Lee Myung-hyun, former senior prosecutor at the Ministry of National Defense. / Source: Yonhap News

With more than 120 prosecutors to be dispatched and extensive mandates granted to each team, this will be the largest special counsel operation in South Korean history. While the government and ruling parties are emphasizing speed and accountability, concerns remain that a prolonged investigation could be seen as political revenge rather than justice.

A senior presidential official responded to criticism over the scale and cost of the investigations, saying, “The call to uncover the truth behind the alleged insurrection is rooted in the public’s demand for clarity following the presidential election.” Addressing conservative concerns about resource waste and legal overreach, the official added, “This is not a sudden measure. The size and scope of the investigations have long been publicly known.”

#Three special counsels