President Lee Myung-bak on Friday named the chief of a Seoul court to lead a state civil rights commission, his office said.

Lee Sung-bo, the head of the Seoul Central District Court, will succeed Kim Young-ran as head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. The commission is tasked with fighting government corruption and resolving administrative problems for ordinary citizens.

Lee, 56, has worked as a judge since 1984 and is known for “reasonable and balanced” verdicts that also cared for the underprivileged and minorities, the presidential office said in a statement.

Kim, who served as South Korea’s first female Supreme Court justice, left the commission last month after her husband, Kang Ji-won, declared an official bid to run in the upcoming presidential election. 

(Yonhap News)