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Min Jung-ki, special counsel investigating allegations against former first lady Kim Keon-hee, answers questions from reporters after meeting with Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park Seung-hwan, acting head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, in Seoul on June 18. / Source: Yonhap News

A significant number of prosecutors with elite anti-corruption investigation experience—often referred to in Korea as teuksutong—have been appointed to the special counsel teams investigating the alleged insurrection plot and former first lady Kim Keon-hee. Legal experts say that appointing prosecutors with such experience was inevitable due to the time constraints of special counsel investigations and their strong track records.

Cho Eon-seok, the special counsel leading the probe into alleged insurrection and violations of constitutional order related to the December 3 martial law controversy, is forming his team primarily with prosecutors from special and financial crime units.

Ahead of appointing his deputy prosecutors, Cho requested on June 16 the dispatch of nine prosecutors from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. Most of those requested have stood out in the special investigations or finance sectors.

The list reportedly includes Kim Jong-woo (class of 33), Deputy Chief of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office; Kim Jung-kook (class of 35), Head of Criminal Division 4 at Suwon District Office; Koo Won (class of 36), Head of Anti-Corruption at Busan District Office; Park Hyang-chul (class of 36), Head of Food and Drug Crime Division at Seoul Western District; Cho Jae-chul (class of 36), Head of Criminal Division 5 at Seoul Southern District; and Park Ji-hoon (class of 37), Head of Criminal Division 5 at Seoul Northern District.

Key members of the prosecution’s existing martial law task force—such as Kim Jong-woo—are also expected to transition into the special counsel’s office.

Min Jung-ki’s special counsel team, which is investigating multiple allegations involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife Kim Keon-hee, has also brought on two prosecutors from special units as deputy special counsels: Kim Hyung-geun and Park Sang-jin, both from the 29th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute.

Kim previously served as Head of the Special Crime Divisions in Busan and Incheon, Director of Investigations at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, Chief of Anti-Corruption Division 1 at Seoul Central District, and Branch Chief at Incheon District Office.

Park served in the special units of the Daegu and Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Offices, as well as in key roles including Chief of the Gimcheon Branch, Head of the Violent Crime Division in Incheon, Deputy Chief in Ulsan, and Chief Prosecutor at the Goyang Branch.

Experts in the legal field believe that—with the exception of the special counsel investigating the death of a Marine—most prosecutors being dispatched to the insurrection and Kim Keon-hee investigations will come from the special or public security divisions.

“A special counsel investigation differs from a standard case—it requires strategic planning,” said a former prosecutor. “Prosecutors from the special division have extensive experience in setting the overall direction and executing complex investigations.”

Another former prosecutor added, “Given the limited time frame, it’s understandable that highly capable prosecutors from special units were brought to the forefront.”