SEOUL -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Thursday named the current justice minister as new prime minister after the former prime minister stepped down for the alleged bribery scandal.

Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn was nominated as the country's second-highest administrative post, 25 days after Lee Wan-koo, the former prime minister, resigned on suspicion that he received bribes, the presidential office said.

It reflected President Park's strong will to reform the political arena by naming the head of the judiciary authority as new prime minister.