AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday named Kim Yung-ho, a professor of political diplomacy at Sungshin Women’s University, as a new Unification Minister and Kim Hong-il, former chief of the Busan High Prosecutors Office, as chief of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, a ministerial post.

The president also replaced 13 key Cabinet members, including 5 presidential secretaries and 8 officials and experts, in a bid to speed up the implementation of state affairs as he enters his second year in office. Among the 19 government ministries, 12 ministries saw their vice ministers replaced. Yoon met with the newly appointed presidential secretaries and instructed them to “boldly fight against predatory cartels” while handling their job as “high-ranking officials that serve the people.” 

Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki announced the appointment of ministers and vice ministers during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan. 

Kim Wan-sub, chief of the budget office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was named second vice finance minister, while Cho Seong-kyung, presidential secretary for science and technology, was named first vice minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT. Oh Young-ju, Ambassador to Vietnam, was named second vice foreign minister, while Moon Seoung-hyun, Ambassador to Thailand, was named vice unification minister. Jang Mi-ran, a professor at Yong In University, was named second vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, while Han Hoon, chief of Statistics Korea, was named vice minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Lim Sang-jun, presidential secretary for national agenda, was tapped for vice minister of the Ministry of Environment, while Lee Sung-hee, a researcher at the Korea Labor Institute, was named vice minister of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Kim Oh-jin, presidential secretary for general affairs, was named first vice minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, while Baek Won-kug, presidential secretary for land, infrastructure, and transport, was named its second vice minister. Park Sung-hoon, presidential secretary for national planning, was named vice minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, while Oh Kee-woong, planning and coordination chief at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, was named its vice minister. Kim Chae-hwan, a former professor of Seoul Cyber University, was named chief of the National Human Resources Development Institute.

Kim Yung-ho is an expert in international politics and unification policy, having served as unification secretary at the presidential office and ambassador for human rights at the foreign ministry, according to the presidential chief of staff. 

Kim Hong-il is well versed in legal theory and has extensive practical experience as he has been working as a prosecutor and lawyer for nearly 40 years, the presidential chief of staff said.