S Korean president names 3 new ministers for partial reshuffle

SEOUL -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday named three new ministers for a partial reshuffle, with about 18 months left until the end of her five-year tenure, Park's office said.

Cho Yoo-sun, former minister of gender equality and family, was nominated as a new minister of culture, sports and tourism, senior press presidential secretary Kim Sung-woo told reporters.

The lawyer-turned-politician served as senior presidential secretary for political affairs from 2014 to 2015 after leading the general equality ministry between 2013 and 2014. She is known as a close aide to President Park.

Kim Jae-soo, chief executive of the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp.(KAFFT), was named to head the ministry of agriculture, food and rural affairs.

Cho Kyung-kyu, deputy chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination (OGPC), was nominated as new environment minister.

Four new vice ministerial-level officials were named. Noh Hyeong-wook, a senior finance ministry official, will replace Cho Kyung-kyu.

Jeong Marn-ki, Park's secretary for industry and trade affairs, was nominated as vice minister of trade, industry and energy, while Chung Hwang-keun, the presidential secretary for agricultural and fishery affairs, will lead the Rural Development Administration.

Park Kyeong-ho, a law firm lawyer and former senior prosecutor, was appointed as vice chief of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.