Seoul: A senior prosecutor at the center of a controversial appeal withdrawal case began his new duty as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on Friday, saying he will do his best to stabilize the prosecutorial organization. "I feel a heavy burden as I take on this important responsibility at a time when restoring public trust in the prosecution and boosting the morale of its members are urgent," said Park Cheol-woo, who was appointed to one of the most influential prosecution posts in a reshuffle carried out on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Park's appointment triggered a controversy as he was reportedly involved in the prosecution's decision not to appeal a ruling on the so-called Daejang-dong corruption case while serving as the head of the Supreme Prosecutors Office's anticorruption department. The reshuffle came after Jung Jin-woo resigned as the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office two weeks ago in protest of the decision not to appeal the Daejang-dong ruling.
Park was also questioned by reporters about the Daejang-dong case, which allegedly involved President Lee Jae Myung when he previously served as mayor of Seongnam, just south of Seoul, but he did not provide specific answers.