President Moon Jae-in has nominated five-term ruling Democratic Party(DP) lawmaker Choo Mi-ae to be South Korea's next justice minister.

The nomination comes nearly two months after the former minister, Cho Kuk, resigned in mid-October amid an investigation into alleged improprieties involving him and his family.

Choo, a former judge who led the DP from 2016 until 2018, is expected to spearhead the Moon administration's prosecutorial reform drive.

The nominee is required to go through a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly.