Anchor: Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu resigned on Friday, amid continued controversy over his assault of a taxi driver prior to his appointment late last year.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The Justice Ministry announced on Friday that Vice Minister Lee Yong-gu tendered his resignation, just under six months after he took office last December.

Lee, who took the day off on annual leave, said he felt that it was time to inject the ministry and prosecution with fresh minds to innovate and leap forward.

A former judge, Lee became the first non-prosecutor to be appointed vice justice minister in 60 years.

Lee, however, found himself embroiled in controversy after it was discovered that he had assaulted a taxi driver in an intoxicated state a month prior to his appointment.

While the case at the time was closed by the police after an internal investigation in accordance with the victim's wishes, a new investigative agency recently launched a fact-finding probe.

This comes after it was found that senior members of the Seoul Seocho Police Station that handled the case were aware that Lee was a potential candidate to head the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

The prosecution recently summoned Lee after a complaint was filed by civic groups seeking assault charges under the Specific Crime Aggravated Punishment Act, which can punish the accused regardless of what the victim wants.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.