Seoul, February 21 – South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has dismissed the Minister of the Korea Forest Service, Kim In-ho, after he was found to have committed an unlawful act, Lee's office said on Saturday, without further details.
"We have found that the Minister of the Korea Forest Service caused trouble by committing a serious violation of existing laws, and have decided to remove him from his position," Lee's office said.
The presidential office did not specify which law Kim violated, but warned that it would respond sternly to any future violations of law by high-ranking officials, according to reports from Yonhap news agency.
Later in the day, police confirmed that Kim had been arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
Kim is accused of subsequently colliding with a bus and a car while driving under the influence at an intersection in the Bundang district of Seongnam at around 10:50 p.m. on Monday, according to the Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, south of Seoul.
According to the Bundang Police Station, Kim reportedly ignored traffic lights before colliding with the vehicles. No injuries were reported, while Kim's blood alcohol concentration was found to be at a level warranting a license suspension, according to police.
"We plan to investigate the exact details of the incident once we coordinate when to summon the suspect," the police said.
Kim, a former professor of environmental science, was nominated to the position in August after serving as the vice chair of the ruling Democratic Party's policy committee.