Several prosecutors who were dismissed for corruption and negligence of duty illegally practiced law less than three years later, a report said Monday.

According to a report by Herald Business, six prosecutors of the eight fired since 2007 established their own law firms or began working as lawyers, successfully returning to court despite the law against it.

The law on legal professions bans dismissed prosecutors from working as lawyers or opening their own law firms for three years.

However, the Korean Bar Association, which issues licenses for lawyers, has been making arbitrary decisions in allowing some corrupt prosecutors to return to court after less than three years, the report said.

The Ministry of Justice took disciplinary action against a total of 27 prosecutors in the last six years ― five in 2007, one in 2008, eight in 2009, two in 2010, eight in 2011, and three in 2012. The list does not include four other prosecutors involved in recent corruption scandals, such as a prosecutor Jeon Jae-mong, who was involved in a sex scandal, and Kim Kwang-jun, a prosecutor who received a kickback from a private firm for influence peddling. 

Of the total, eight were dismissed, five were suspended, eight got pay cuts and six were reprimanded, the ministry said.

Twelve prosecutors were punished for bribery, followed by five for sexual harassment. Other cases included neglect of duties, domestic violence, and drunk driving.

(christory@heraldcorp.com)