South Korea changes prime minister after ferry sinking.

South Korean President today nominated a former judge to replace Chung Hong-won as prime minister, after the latter took responsibility for the ferry sinking and resigned last month.

Ahn Dai-hee, 59, a former judge of the South Korean Supreme Court, has been appointed prime minister to replace Chung Hong-won, Yonhap reported today, citing presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook.

Ahn Dai-hee, the South Korean president's nominee for the new prime minister. Photo: Yonhap

Mr. Chung will remain in office until a new prime minister is confirmed by parliament, the spokesperson added. Earlier, Chung Hong-won held a press conference confirming that he had submitted his resignation on April 27 due to poor handling and slow response to the Sewol ferry disaster, which left nearly 300 dead or missing.

President Park Geun-hye accepted Chung's resignation but requested that the prime minister only leave office after the ferry sinking incident is resolved.

Mr. Ahn, the current prime ministerial candidate, is a renowned judge who rose to prominence during the 2003 high-profile investigation into political parties accused of illegal fundraising ahead of the 2002 presidential election. From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Ahn served as a judge on the Supreme Court of South Korea until he joined the Saenuri Party (National Congress Party), a conservative political party. He is the chairman of the party's reform committee.

Alongside the appointment of a new prime minister, the South Korean president also approved the resignations of National Intelligence Director Nam Jae-joon and National Security Advisor Kim Jang-soo. This decision is seen as an attempt by President Park to regain public trust after the ferry disaster.

The Sewol ferry capsized on April 16 while traveling from Incheon port to the resort island of Jeju. More than 300 people, mostly high school students and teachers on a field trip, were killed or went missing. Relatives of the Sewol ferry passengers are angry and have repeatedly criticized the slow rescue efforts and the government's frequent changes in information.

On May 19, President Park Geun-hye appeared on television to apologize to the South Korean people and announced the disbandment of the country's coast guard due to shortcomings that prevented timely rescue of victims.

According to VnExpress