Veteran bureaucrat tapped as top economic policymaker
New Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki speaks to reporters at the government complex in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
President Moon Jae-in's new finance minister nominee, Hong Nam-ki, is a veteran bureaucrat with a wide range of front-line expertise, especially in budget and finance planning.
Hong, 58, started his career as a bureaucrat at the finance ministry in 1984 and climbed the ranks with appointments to various key posts in the ministry.
He worked as a presidential secretary under the Roh Moo-hyun and Park Guen-hye governments.
In particular, he joined the Park administration's transition team.
Before taking the post as chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination in 2017, he held the post of vice science minister.
Observers have said he is a genial person and good at making meticulous preparations for key state policies. He, in particular, is seen as having considerable experience in budget and finance planning and has in-depth knowledge in administrative areas as he served as the senior coordinator for state affairs.
The native of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, is a graduate of Hanyang University's College of Business and Economy. He holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Salford in Britain. (Yonhap)