S. Korea replaces senior prosecutors leading investigations into high-profile scandals

SEOUL, Jan. 8 (Yonhap) -- The Justice Ministry on Wednesday replaced senior prosecutors in charge of investigations into two major scandals involving presidential officials.

Among those affected are Han Dong-hoon, the head of the anti-corruption department, who led probes into alleged irregularities by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and Cho's suspected role in ending an inspection into bribery allegations involving a former Busan vice mayor.

Han was assigned to the No. 2 post in the High Prosecutors Offices in the southeastern port city of Busan.

Another key prosecutor replaced in the reshuffle is Park Chan-ho, who had been in charge of probes into allegations that the presidential office helped President Moon Jae-in's close friend win the 2018 mayoral election in Ulsan, an industrial city located about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

The reshuffle came five days after new Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae took office with a pledge to reform the prosecution in what she called "the demand of the times."

The post of justice minister had been vacant for more than two months since her predecessor, Cho Kuk, stepped down amid a prosecution probe into his family's alleged academic fraud and financial wrongdoing.

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