South Korea justice minister Cho Kuk, mired in corruption scandal, says he is stepping down

SEOUL - South Korea's newly appointed Justice Minister Cho Kuk, mired in a corruption scandal involving his family, announced he is stepping down after a little over a month in the position, saying his appointment had become a political burden for the government.

Mr Cho was officially appointed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sept 9 to lead the reform of the country's prosecutors' office.

His appointment, amid a prosecution probe into his family's financial investments and his children's university admission, had fuelled protests in recent weeks.

“I decided I must not burden the President and the government with my family’s affairs anymore,” Mr Cho said in a statement announcing his resignation. 

 “I believe that now is the time for me to step down so that reforming the prosecutor’s office will be successfully completed,” he added. 

Mr Cho’s decision to step down was his own, Mr Moon’s chief political advisor Kang Gi-jung told reporters. 

Mr Moon already faces public discontent over a sluggish economy and stalled diplomacy with North Korea, and the Cho scandal has helped keep his approval numbers near historic lows.

His approval rating stood at 43 per cent, according to a Gallup Korea survey conducted last Tuesday and Thursday (Oct 8 and 10). Another survey conducted earlier last week by pollster Realmeter put Mr Moon's approval rating at 42.5 per cent, the lowest the firm had registered since he became president.

Mr Moon has continued to back Mr Cho and told senior aides last week that although "public opinion can be divided on political issues, I do not think that means that national opinion is divided".

Prosecutors summoned Mr Cho's wife for questioning for the fourth time last Saturday, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Mr Cho has not denied the allegations against his family members but apologised for disappointing the people and said last Tuesday that he was still committed to reforming the prosecutors office. "I will carry out my duty until the last moment I am in this position," he told a news briefing.

Mr Cho had attended a news conference earlier on Monday where he released details of proposed reforms to the prosecutor’s office, such as closing some powerful investigative units accused by critics of operating without proper oversight.