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

President Lee Jae Myung is considering nominating a justice minister from among two prosecutor-turned-lawmakers, Rep. Park Kyoon-taek and Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), according to a source at the presidential office. The decision follows the withdrawal of Rep. Kim Seung-won from the race last month due to lobbying allegations.

Park and Yang, both first-term lawmakers from the DP's southwestern Honam region, previously worked as prosecutors. Park is part of a group of DP lawmakers who are calling for the dismissal of Lee's criminal indictments, alleging they were politically motivated. Yang was appointed co-chief of the party's legal affairs committee in 2022 to handle Lee's legal issues. An official nomination for the justice minister position is expected to be made soon.