South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday nominated Park Sang-ki, professor at Yonsei University’s law school, as new justice minister. The nomination came 11 days after former candidate Ahn Kyong-whan, professor of law at Seoul National University, resigned from the nomination in a parliamentary confirmation hearing amid growing controversy over personal conducts.

Park - who is from Muan, South Jeolla - is a criminal law expert who served various positions in the field including head of the Korean Institute of Criminology. He is also currently co-chief of progressive civic group Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice. Park is known as a moderate and rational reformist but one who has strong will to carry out prosecutorial and judicial reform.

The presidential office praised Park as both a theorist and practitioner of judicial reform not only in the academia and civil society but also in the administrative judicial affairs scene. He has filled positions as a member of committees on judicial reform and prosecutorial reform.

With the latest nomination, 15 of 17 ministers have been named by the Moon administration - except for ministers of trade, industry and energy, as well as health and welfare. Of the nominations, six ministers have been appointed - Kim Dong-yeon as vice prime minister and strategy and finance minister, Kang Kyung-wha as foreign affairs minister, Kim Boo-kyum as interior minister, Kim Hyun-mi as land, infrastructure and transport minister, Do Jong-hwan as culture, sports, and tourism minister, and Kim Young-choon as maritime affairs and fisheries minister.

By Kang Gye-man

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