NOMINATION OF TOP PROSECUTOR

[Anchor Lead]

President Yoon Suk-yeol named Lee Won-seok, chief deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, as his administration's first prosecutor general. The nomination came 101 days after the president was inaugurated and 104 days since the chief prosecutor position became vacant. Lee, considered a pro-Yoon Suk-yeol prosecutor specializing in major cases, has been serving as an acting chief prosecutor with a focus on strengthening the investigative authority and stabilizing the organization.

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The first Prosecutor General of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has been named. Lee Won-seok, the chief deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will take the post after the seat remained vacant for over 100 days.

[Soundbite] Kim Dae-ki(Presidential Chief of Staff) : "We believe that Lee would lead the prosecution service with a balanced perspective of an investigative and planning expert."

Lee had been working together with the Justice Ministry in making personnel appointments in place of the prosecutor general. He has also been preparing for a constitutional trial and the revision of enforcement decrees to confont the reduced authority of the prosecution's investigative right. He is considered to be a card that will alleviate concerns over Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon's so-called "passing" controversy, or becoming a "vegetative PG".

[Soundbite] Lee Won-seok(Prosecutor General Nominee) : "I am also serving as an acting prosecutor general, so I will faithfully fulfill both my duties as a nominee and acting prosecutor general."

Lee is widely known inside the prosecution service as a major case expert who had personally investigated former President Park Geun-hye in the bribery scandal. In 2007, he had worked on the Samsung slush fund case together with then-prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol. When Yoon was prosecutor general, Lee also worked as one of Yoon's key aides as the head of the planning and coordination department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Controversy has erupted after another pro-Yoon prosecutor was appointed, but Lee, perhaps aware of the controversy, underlined the prosecution's independence.

[Soundbite] Lee Won-seok(Prosecutor General Nominee) : "Every prosecutor must think the prosecution’s neutrality is the most important value and tries to put that principle into action. We are aware of the outsiders’ concerns."

Lee started his career seven years later than the former prosecutor general. So he will need to make as few personnel reshuffles as possible and stabilize the organization. Even if he begins immediately after the upcoming confirmation hearing, he will start his term after a record 125-day vacancy at the top prosecutor seat.