By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
South Korean President Park Geun-hye named her new prime minister Thursday, following the resignation of outgoing PM Chung Hong-won over last month’s Sewol ferry disaster.
Former Supreme Court Justice Ahn Dai-hee got the nod from the president to become the country’s second-in-command.
Park also accepted the resignations of the country’s national security director, Kim Jang-Soo, and spy chief Nam Jae-joon. Kim has been criticized for alleged comments evading responsibility for the Sewol disaster, while Nam is facing allegations of his agents fabricating evidence regarding another matter.
Chung offered to resign last month as the government came under increasing criticism for its handling of the Sewol ferry's sinking on April 16, which left more than 300 people dead or still missing – mostly high school students.
Providing Ahn receives parliamentary approval at a forthcoming confirmation hearing, the 59-year-old’s immediate task will be to restore public trust.
“I have lived all my life to eradicate irregularities and corruption…I take my nomination for prime minister as an order than I should stamp out evils accumulated over decades and push for reform,” Ahn told reporters following his nomination.
Chung Hong-won will remain in the position until Ahn is confirmed.
aa.com.tr/en
