Veteran prosecutor tapped as new vice justice minister

All News 10:43 April 27, 2020

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- Cheong Wa Dae announced the replacement of the vice justice minister Monday, as the ministry looks set for a strong drive to reform the prosecution service following the ruling party's overwhelming general election win.

President Moon Jae-in picked Koh Ki-young, chief the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, to replace Kim O-su for the position, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Born in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, Koh studied law at Seoul National University and earned a master of laws degree from the school.

He passed the state judicial exam in 1991 and has served at a number of key posts at the Prosecution Service.

Reforming the prosecution, said to have excessive power, is one of Moon's major campaign pledges. The government is preparing to set up a non-prosecution agency in July to be tasked with looking into corruption among high-level government officials, including senior prosecutors.

The reform push has received a boost from the Democratic Party's victory in the April 15 elections, in which it secured three-fifths of the 300 parliamentary seats.