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Sanullim's Kim Chang-hoon has formed a band called 'Kkamang' and will be holding their first performance in October.

Translated from Korean Read in Korean

hani.co.kr ·

Special Investigation Officer (SIO) nominee Choi Gilsun, a lawyer at E-Afra Law Firm, was selected by President Yoon Suk-yeol on September 24th, finally resolving a 10-year gap after the departure of previous SIO Is Seok-su in 2016. Choi is a seasoned 20-year veteran in the prosecution, having worked as a prosecutor since passing the 1991 33rd Judicial Service Exam.

He began his career in 1997 as a prosecutor in Gwangju and later held various positions such as Special 2nd Division Head at the Gwangju Prosecutor's Office, Deputy Director of the Dong-gu District Office, and Head of the Major Economic Crime Investigation Team at Seoul South District Office. Choi's nomination to the SIO position was based on his expertise and political neutrality, as President Yoon deemed him a non-partisan individual.

Choi previously served as the SIO nominee for the opposition United Future Party in 2019. The spokesperson for the presidential office stated that Choi is considered a neutral candidate as he has recommended candidates from both major parties in the past. The National Assembly's previous nominees were Kang Ji-sung for the Citizens' Power Party and Kang Un-hyun for the Korean Bar Association.

SIOs are responsible for independently investigating high-ranking officials and government servants who violate ethics rules, including President's family members and officials within the 4-corner proximity. The SIO was first established in 2014 under former President Park Geun-hye's election campaign. In 2015, Is Seok-su became the first SIO appointed, but resigned in September the following year due to pressure from the president's office and the executive branch.

The SIO's appointment was delayed during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration due to its dual role with the Office of Special Prosecution (OSP) and the Special Investigation Officer (SIO) role. The appointment of the SIO was announced as a campaign promise by former President Yoon, but failed to materialize after the ruling party tried to tie the recommendation process to the North Korea Human Rights Foundation's chairperson recommendation.

Experts argue that ensuring the SIO's independent role in investigations is crucial to prevent future instances of "Choi Seok-su syndrome."

Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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Gyeonggi Province has put off personnel changes for the second half of the year, sparking protests from the provincial government's employees' union and some city and county governments that the move is an example of "communication-less governance." The provincial government had been expected to announce a new round of personnel changes in late June or early July, but it has delayed the move. The Gyeonggi Provincial Officials' Union, an organization with some 1,600 members, expressed regret over the decision, saying it was made without prior communication with the union. The union said in a statement that it had proposed to the provincial government that it push ahead with the personnel changes in July as planned, but the government had ignored the proposal. The union said it will take unspecified "collective action" if the government continues to ignore its opinions. Some city and county governments in Gyeonggi have also expressed frustration with the provincial government's decision. The government of Pyeongtaek, a city in southwestern Gyeonggi, expressed regret that it was not informed about the provincial government's decision to delay the personnel changes. The city government said it had already started making plans for the personnel changes based on an earlier announcement by the provincial government that they would take place in July. The city government said it will have to re-do its plans and that it is unclear how the changes will affect the work of city officials. Other city and county governments have also expressed similar concerns. On June 29, Gyeonggi Governor Nam Kyung-pil ordered his deputy governor and other high-ranking officials to refrain from making any new personnel changes. The governor's office said the personnel changes were being delayed to ensure "organizational stability" and to "minimize confusion" in the provincial government. The governor's office said it will announce the personnel changes at a later date, but did not say when. The provincial government's decision to delay the personnel changes comes at a time when some local governments in Gyeonggi are already facing difficulties due to a shortage of personnel. Some local governments have been unable to fill vacant positions due to a freeze on hiring by the provincial government. The provincial government imposed the hiring freeze in 2015 in an effort to reduce its workforce and streamline its operations. The freeze has been extended several times and is currently set to expire at the end of June. It is unclear how long the provincial government's delay in making personnel changes will last. The delay is expected to cause difficulties for some local governments that are already facing personnel shortages. The Gyeonggi Provincial Officials' Union has urged the provincial government to come up with a plan to deal with the personnel shortages. The union has proposed that the provincial government allow local governments to fill vacant positions on their own. The provincial government has not yet responded to the union's proposal.

·hani.co.kr

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