The nomination of the defense procurement agency's chief comes about two months after Lee’s close aide and his administration's first justice minister Jeong Seong-ho stepped down in late August amid pressure over sweeping prosecution reforms, before the prosecution service was abolished last month, ending nearly eight decades of history.
At a press briefing later in the day, presidential chief of staff Lim Kwang-hyun announced the nomination along with two other appointments to key government and presidential posts including Ahn Deok-su as the new head of the National Tax Service, filling a vacancy left by Lim's appointment last month.
Lim described the justice minister nominee as a lawyer affiliated with a group known for its work on human rights and democratic values, adding that he had also led anti-corruption reforms.
Lim also stressed that the nominee's legal background and broad administrative experience would help him quickly establish a new criminal justice system that "leaves no one marginalized or treated unjustly."
Meanwhile, Choi In-ho, head of the Korea Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG), was also named senior presidential secretary for political affairs, following the resignation of his predecessor Hong Ik-pyo.
Lim said the latest appointments reflect the administration's intention to listen more closely to public opinion and improve communication with citizens.
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