South Korean President Moon Jae-in replaced the commander of the military intelligence unit, suspected of having been involved in a series of scandal including political intervention, the presidential Blue House said Friday.

Yoon Young-chan, senior presidential press secretary, told a press briefing that President Moon appointed Lt. Gen. Nam Young-sin as a new commander of the Defense Security Command (DSC) to replace Lt. Gen. Lee Suk-koo who had led the DSC since September last year.

Nam, the current commander of the Army's Special Warfare Command, is a veteran military officer in special warfare operations and field maneuvers.

Moon, who was on a five-day summer vacation from Monday, was briefed Thursday on the DSC reform committee's report, and ordered the creation of a new DSC command that historically breaks with its past through fundamental reform.

Moon ordered all of the DSC members embroiled in the alleged illegalities be returned to their original units, saying the non-military inspector chief inside the DSC should thoroughly investigate any wrongdoing inside the intelligence unit.