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President dismisses Korea Forest Service chief over 'unlawful'act'

Published: 21 Feb. 2026, 16:15

Kim In-ho [KOREA FOREST SERVICE]

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 Saturday, without further elaborating.

“We have found that the minister of the Korea Forest Service caused trouble by committing a serious violation to existing laws, and decided to dismiss him from the post,” Lee's office said.

The presidential office did not elaborate on what specific law Kim violated but warned it will react sternly to any violations of law by high-ranking officials going forward.

Later in the day, police confirmed they have booked Kim on charges of driving under the influence.

Kim is accused of subsequently ramming into a bus and a car while drunk driving at an intersection in the Bundang district of Seongnam at around 10:50 p.m. on Monday, according to the Bundang Police Precinct in Gyeonggi, south of Seoul.

The ex-minister reportedly ignored traffic lights before he collided 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.

A former environmental professor, Kim was nominated to the position in August after serving as the vice chair of the ruling Democratic Party's policy committee.

Yonhap