ROK names new PM, seven other ministers in reshuffle

SEOUL - Republic of Korea President Lee Myung-Bak on Sunday named a former provincial governor as new prime minister and replaced seven other ministers in the biggest cabinet reshuffle since he took power in early 2008.

But Lee kept his current foreign, defense and unification ministers in place amid continuing high tensions with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea over the sinking of a ROK warship.

Kim Tae-Ho, 47, will be the country's youngest prime minister for almost 40 years if parliament confirms his nomination.