Lee mulls picking justice minister nominee from 2 prosecutor-turned-lawmakers

SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung is mulling over selecting a justice minister nominee from between two prosecutor-turned-lawmakers after his previous pick for the post withdrew his candidacy last month over lobbying allegations, a source at the presidential office said Sunday. Rep. Park Kyoon-taek and Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) are the candidates that Lee is reviewing for justice minister, a source at Cheong Wa Dae told Yonhap News Agency. "After a lengthy deliberation, Lee is reviewing the choice between Park and Yang. An official nomination is expected to be made soon," the source said. In a Cabinet reshuffle in late August, Lee nominated Rep. Kim Seung-won of the DP to lead the justice ministry. A parliamentary confirmation hearing was held last month, but Kim withdrew his candidacy amid controversy over various allegations, including lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment drug. Amid a two-month vacancy in the justice minister post, Lee is believed to be carefully reviewing the nomination while considering public sentiment. Park and Yang, both first-term lawmakers in the DP's stronghold in the southwestern Honam region, formerly served as prosecutors. Park is among a group of DP lawmakers calling for dropping Lee's criminal indictments, claiming they were brought by politically motivated prosecutors. Yang was appointed a co-chief of the party's legal affairs committee in 2022, when Lee was the head of the DP, to manage Lee's legal issues. This composite file photo shows Rep. Park Kyoon-taek (L) and Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the ruling Democratic Party. (Yonhap) sooyeon@yna.co.kr(END)