Two other ministers were axed in a minor cabinet reshuffle that saw the unexpected departure of South Korea's first ever woman Justice Minister Kang Gum-Sil.

Outgoing Defense Minister Cho Young-Kil announced his resignation Tuesday after apologizing for "causing trouble" to the people and the president following the confrontation with North Korea.

Yoon Kwang-Ung, 62, senior presidential aide for defense affairs, takes over at the ministry, presidential officials said.

Yoon, a graduate of the same high school as Roh in the southern port city of Busan, retired from the navy in 1999 after rising to the rank of admiral and serving as deputy chief of naval staff.

Cho has been under pressure to quit since a confrontation between the South Korean and North Korea navies two weeks ago in the Yellow Sea.

A South Korean ship fired warning shots at a North Korean vessel and then the navy filed a misleading report on the incident, according to officials.

A top general was sacked on Monday after admitting to leaking information to the press about the incident.

At the justice ministry, the popular Kang is replaced by Kim Seung-Kyu, a former vice justice minister, while Hwang Doo-yun, state minister for trade, gives place to his deputy Kim Hyun-Jong.

WAR.WIRE