Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam offered to step down from office Thursday, apparently clearing the way for President Moon Jae-in to push for reform, one of the new leader’s key campaign pledges.

“The investigation of former President Park Geun-hye has been concluded, the presidential election is over and the new president has been sworn in. I see no more tasks left for me,” Kim said via his office.

It was not immediately clear whether Moon will accept the resignation.

The announcement came just hours after Moon, who took office Wednesday, named a reform-minded law professor, Cho Kuk, as his legal affairs secretary, a job typically given to an incumbent or former prosecutor under previous governments.

The appointment of Cho was widely taken as a sign that Moon wants to overhaul the state prosecution, arguably the most powerful group in the country’s criminal justice system with exclusive rights to indictment.

“The prosecutor general left a message that all prosecutors should cooperate with the new administration in finding the best possible reform measures to turn the prosecution into a fairer and more transparent organization,” a spokesperson for the prosecutors’ office said.

South Korean prosecutors are often criticized for serving those in power, not the people.

During his campaign, Moon promised to establish a new state entity to probe corruption cases of state prosecutors, judges and other senior government officials. He also vowed to scale back the monopolistic authority held by the prosecution and empower police with more autonomous rights to investigate.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)