President Park Geun-hye on Sunday named Kim Hyun-woong, chief of Seoul Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, as new justice minister, completing her partial Cabinet shake-up initiated in the wake of a recent political scandal that involved her close confidants including former prime minister.
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| Newly appointed Justice Minister Kim Hyun-woong (Yonhap) |
Park’s nomination of Kim fills the ministerial post that remained vacant since the president tapped former justice chief Hwang Kyo-ahn as new prime minister. Hwang officially took the nation’s second-highest post on Thursday after obtaining parliamentary endorsement.
“Justice Minister nominee Kim Hyun-woong is the right man to establish the rule of law and to eradicate widespread corruption throughout society judging from his professionalism and leadership built while serving various posts within the prosecution and the justice ministry,” said Park’s spokesman Min Kyung-wook.
Kim was nominated with approval from the new premier Hwang on Sunday, he added. The new justice minister does not require the parliament’s approval, but he is subject to a confirmation hearing to screen his qualification.
By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)
