SEOUL, May 21 (UPI) -- South Korea's Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn was nominated as the country's new prime minister on Thursday.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye's nomination of Hwang comes a month after former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo resigned after he was accused of accepting bribes from a South Korean businessman who committed suicide on April 9.
Hwang would be President Park's third prime minister, reported Bloomberg, if he makes it past a confirmation hearing in South Korea's parliament.
Park's first prime minister, Chung Hong-won, resigned after criticisms of his handling of the Sewol ferry disaster.
Sewol and its parent company, Chonghaejin Marine Company, have been connected to gift giving that may have contributed to a ship safety oversight that led to the ferry sinking.
Yonhap reported Thursday Hwang said he would prioritize economic revitalization and public safety, concerns that have been emphasized by his predecessors.
Hwang also said he would "restore the norm" during his term in office.
Hwang's statement referred to his commitment to ongoing government work in eradicating corruption that led to the Sewol disaster, raising workplace safety hazards and reforming the labor market to meet the demands of job security.
Those issues are directly interconnected to President Park's prioritization of eradicating public corruption and accelerating political reform. In March, South Korea passed an anti-corruption law targeting gift giving for public officials.
Bloomberg reported Park's approval rating reached 40 percent, up from a low of 34 percent, in May -- just a few weeks after Lee's resignation.
