SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president has decided to retain the country’s current prime minister — who holds the No. 2 spot in the government — after two possible replacements for the job both abandoned their nominations because of questions over past behavior, officials said Thursday.

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won had offered to step down after April’s ferry disaster as a way to assuage enormous public anger over the tragedy, which left more than 300 people dead or missing. President Park Geun-hye tried to replace him and reshuffle other Cabinet officials to try to win back public trust.