South Korean president nominates new prime minister

SEOUL: South Korean President Park Geun-hye has nominated ruling party lawmaker Lee Wan Koo to replace Prime Minister Chung Hong-won nearly 10 months after Chung offered to resign over a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people in April last year.

Presidential official Yoon Du-hyun said in a televised briefing Friday that Park also reshuffled her secretarial units and plans to introduce a team of special policy advisers in a shake-up that follows criticism about her allegedly poor communications with the public and lack of transparency in personnel decisions.

Park decided to retain Chung in June after two possible replacements for the job abandoned their nominations because of questions over past behavior. Chung will hold his No. 2 spot in the government until Lee gains approval from lawmakers.