S. Korea names new prime minister after ferry sinking disaster

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Thursday nominated former Supreme Court justice Ahn Dai-hee for the post of prime minister as the incumbent offered to resign to take responsibility for last month's ferry sinking disaster, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

Ahn Dai-hee was named as a new prime minister to replace Chung Hong-won, the incumbent prime minister who will be the highest- ranking government official to lose his job over the ferry sinking disaster.

Chung has offered to step down after apologizing for the sinking of the ferry Sewol, which capsized and sank off the southwestern coast on April 16, but President Park has delayed the acceptance of his resignation to allow him to make all-out efforts first to handle the maritime accident.

Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook told a press briefing that Ahn will successfully perform the duty of the national reform, which Park promised to make South Korea reborn as a safe country.

Min said Ahn gained confidence as a prosecutor in past investigations into illegal presidential election funds and corruption scandals implicating presidential aides, hinting he will become the country's No. 2 official who can tell hard truths to President Park.

The Park administration has been under public criticism over the bungling of rescue operations in the initial stage and lax safety standards across the entire society.

On the 37th day into search, 288 people have been confirmed dead, with 16 others still missing. Two thirds of the 476 passengers aboard the ill-fated vessel were high school students on their way for a class trip.

In her nationally televised speech, Park vowed Monday to overhaul the country's safety system and reform officialdom, called here as a bureaucratic Mafia for the collusive links between bureaucrats and businessmen.

Park decided to disband the coast guard and launch the " National Safety Ministry," which will serve as a control tower of rescue operations.