S. Korea replaces Navy chief over ship controversy

The government on Monday accepted the resignation of the Navy chief who offered to quit over alleged corruption and named a vice admiral as his successor, the defense ministry said.

Adm. Hwang Ki-chul expressed his will to step down from the post in December, two weeks after the state audit agency announced the outcome of an investigation into alleged graft involving the country's indigenous salvage ship, the ministry said in a statement.

Chung Ho-seop, vice chief of naval operations, will replace Hwang, who had held the position since September 2013, it said.

"After a Cabinet approval tomorrow, President Park Geun-hye plans to formally appoint him," the ministry said.

In December, the Board of Audit and Inspection asked the ministry to take punitive action against the navy chief over the controversial 3,500-ton Tongyeong that was found to be fraught with problems that effectively prevented the vessel from being deployed for rescue operations in the aftermath of April's ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people.

A prosecution investigation has been under way into a number of military officers who allegedly took bribes from a local company that supplied faulty parts for the ship. (Yonhap)