A committee mulling over candidates for the post of prosecutor general has recommended four figures to Justice Minister Park Beom-kye at a meeting on Thursday.

The recommended figures are former Vice Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo, head of the Gwangju High Public Prosecutors’ Office Koo Bon-seon, Institute of Justice President Bae Seong-beom and Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Assistant Prosecutor General Cho Nam-kwan. 

The justice minister will pick one of the four candidates and recommend him to President Moon Jae-in. 

Lee Sung-yoon, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who was considered a strong candidate, was not included among the recommended figures. 

He apparently was excluded as he’s being questioned by prosecutors over his alleged abuse of power in relation to an investigation into a travel ban issued on former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui in 2019.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl resigned early last month after months of public conflict with former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae over prosecution reforms.