Spymaster, national security advisor step down
By Chung Min-uck
President Park Geun-hye nominated former star prosecutor Ahn Dai-hee as prime minister, Thursday.
Ahn, 59, is known as someone who can say no to Park, a reputation that analysts say could help improve her public image of being a "unilateral" leader.
The ruling Saenuri Party called Ahn the right person to clean up the government after the Sewol ferry tragedy, while the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy called him "a choice" that ignored the people's wishes.
"Ahn has been chosen to lead the rebuilding of the country that has been shaken by the Sewol ferry sinking, and to eradicate bad practices and deep-rooted corruption in our society," said presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook at a briefing.
Park also accepted the resignation of Nam Jae-joon, chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and Kim Jang-soo, chief of the National Security Office.
The incumbent Prime Minister Chung Hong-won will stay in office to deal with the aftermath of the ferry disaster, or until Ahn passes a National Assembly confirmation hearing.
Min said that the nominee was the most suitable for reforming the public service sector and government structure that have been found to be riddled with inefficiency and corruption.
Ahn started his career as a prosecutor after passing the bar exam at the age of 25. He was the youngest person to become a prosecutor.
He also served as a Supreme Court justice from 2006 until his retirement in 2012.
Ahn chaired the political reform committee for the ruling Saenuri Party during Park's 2012 presidential election campaign.
The prime minister nominee, while serving as a prosecutor, led a high-profile investigation in 2003 into allegations that political parties collected huge amounts of slush funds ahead of the 2002 presidential election.
The full-scale probe led to the arrest of many close aides to then-President Roh Moo-hyun and also brought heavy criticism on the then-main opposition Grand National Party, now the Saenuri Party, since it was found to have collected truckloads of cash from large businesses to fund the presidential campaign.
"I have lived all my life to eradicate irregularities and corruption. I take my nomination as an order that I should stamp out evil accumulated over decades and push for reform," Ahn told a press conference. "I will sacrifice all my personal life and work hard so as to renovate the bureaucracy and firm up the basic framework of the country and society."
Experts say Park's choice shows her determination to resolve the ongoing crisis following the Sewol tragedy, given the former judge's image of maintaining a principled and unbiased stance on social issues.
The announcement comes following Chung's resignation last month over the government's slow and incompetent response to the unprecedented maritime disaster.
Park said at the time she would accept the resignation after the crisis had been brought under control.
Many suspect that more lives could have been saved had the government acted in a more proactive and efficient manner in the early hours of the sinking.
The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol sank off the country's southwest coast on April 16, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.
Most of the victims were students from a high school near Seoul on a field trip to the southern resort island of Jeju.
Park earlier convened an emergency meeting of chief Cabinet ministers to discuss nominating the country's new premier.
The appointment of Ahn is subject to a parliamentary confirmation hearing.
Meanwhile, resignations of the national security advisor and the spy chief also come in line with Park's call for restructuring her Cabinet.
Nam has recently come under fire after it was revealed that the NIS fabricated immigration records to charge a North Korean defector with espionage.
Kim was also put in the hot seat following his remarks after the Sewol incident that his presidential security office was not in charge of safety issues.
Park has also been under pressure to fire her chief of staff, Kim Ki-choon, but it appears she has decided to retain him.
Park also told officials to put in their best efforts in the search for those still missing in the April 16 sinking.
By Chung Min-uck
 |
| Ahn Dai-hee |
Ahn, 59, is known as someone who can say no to Park, a reputation that analysts say could help improve her public image of being a "unilateral" leader.
The ruling Saenuri Party called Ahn the right person to clean up the government after the Sewol ferry tragedy, while the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy called him "a choice" that ignored the people's wishes.
"Ahn has been chosen to lead the rebuilding of the country that has been shaken by the Sewol ferry sinking, and to eradicate bad practices and deep-rooted corruption in our society," said presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook at a briefing.
Park also accepted the resignation of Nam Jae-joon, chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and Kim Jang-soo, chief of the National Security Office.
The incumbent Prime Minister Chung Hong-won will stay in office to deal with the aftermath of the ferry disaster, or until Ahn passes a National Assembly confirmation hearing.
Min said that the nominee was the most suitable for reforming the public service sector and government structure that have been found to be riddled with inefficiency and corruption.
Ahn started his career as a prosecutor after passing the bar exam at the age of 25. He was the youngest person to become a prosecutor.
He also served as a Supreme Court justice from 2006 until his retirement in 2012.
Ahn chaired the political reform committee for the ruling Saenuri Party during Park's 2012 presidential election campaign.
The prime minister nominee, while serving as a prosecutor, led a high-profile investigation in 2003 into allegations that political parties collected huge amounts of slush funds ahead of the 2002 presidential election.
The full-scale probe led to the arrest of many close aides to then-President Roh Moo-hyun and also brought heavy criticism on the then-main opposition Grand National Party, now the Saenuri Party, since it was found to have collected truckloads of cash from large businesses to fund the presidential campaign.
"I have lived all my life to eradicate irregularities and corruption. I take my nomination as an order that I should stamp out evil accumulated over decades and push for reform," Ahn told a press conference. "I will sacrifice all my personal life and work hard so as to renovate the bureaucracy and firm up the basic framework of the country and society."
Experts say Park's choice shows her determination to resolve the ongoing crisis following the Sewol tragedy, given the former judge's image of maintaining a principled and unbiased stance on social issues.
The announcement comes following Chung's resignation last month over the government's slow and incompetent response to the unprecedented maritime disaster.
Park said at the time she would accept the resignation after the crisis had been brought under control.
Many suspect that more lives could have been saved had the government acted in a more proactive and efficient manner in the early hours of the sinking.
The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol sank off the country's southwest coast on April 16, leaving more than 300 people dead or missing.
Most of the victims were students from a high school near Seoul on a field trip to the southern resort island of Jeju.
Park earlier convened an emergency meeting of chief Cabinet ministers to discuss nominating the country's new premier.
The appointment of Ahn is subject to a parliamentary confirmation hearing.
Meanwhile, resignations of the national security advisor and the spy chief also come in line with Park's call for restructuring her Cabinet.
Nam has recently come under fire after it was revealed that the NIS fabricated immigration records to charge a North Korean defector with espionage.
Kim was also put in the hot seat following his remarks after the Sewol incident that his presidential security office was not in charge of safety issues.
Park has also been under pressure to fire her chief of staff, Kim Ki-choon, but it appears she has decided to retain him.
Park also told officials to put in their best efforts in the search for those still missing in the April 16 sinking.
![[INTERVIEW] Korean adoptee in Germany reunites with birth family after 42 years](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/fadf7c30b6094a0da6c8adecdcf925ab.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Expert pitches Laotian rural reform to solve NK's chronic food shortages](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/3dbbf87782cb48fcabe9d9facc018fca.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] 'Welcome to world of art therapy'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/K2023032200218_d6cf4825b6c3d.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Forbes-listed entrepreneur pursues partnerships with Samsung, LG, SK to help Ukraine](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/48669e0a9d604c618e245f79eb0b930d.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
