President Moon Jae-in's nominee for justice minister may soon take office under the cloud of a prosecution inquiry and public outcry over a scandal that has reignited debate over class privilege.
At issue are scholarships and other perks granted to the daughter of the nominee, Cho Kuk, allegedly out of line with her academic performance.
The scandal has struck a chord in South Korea where young people, who compete furiously through school and university, are increasingly finding themselves scrambling for a dwindling number of positions in a slack job market, in a system they see as plagued by systemic unfairness and bias in favor of the elite.