Five ministers nominated
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From left Kim Sang-kon; Ahn Kyong-wha; Song Young-moo; Kim Eun-kyung and Cho Dae-yop. / Yonhap
Reformist tapped as education minister
President Moon Jae-in nominated Kim Sang-kon, a former educational superintendent of Gyeonggi Province, as deputy prime minister for social affairs and minister of education, Sunday.
Kim was among five new minister nominees announced.
Former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Song Young-moo was tapped as defense minister, and Seoul National University professor emeritus Ahn Kyong-whan as justice minister.
Moon designated Korea University Graduate School ofLabor Studies dean Cho Dae-yop as labor and employment minister.
Kim Eun-kyung, a former presidential secretary under the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, was chosen to lead the environment ministry.
“We expect Kim Sang-kon to push ahead with educational reform,” Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
Serving two consecutive terms as Gyeonggi Province’s education chief (2009 to 2014), he helped expand free school meals for primary and secondary school students nationwide.
The nomination of Ahn, who also served as the head of the National Human Rights Commission in the 2000s, reflects Moon’s commitment to reforming the prosecution.
The President has pushed to replace prosecutors who account for nine of the 10 senior posts at the ministry with lawyers, and to prevent the government from peddling influence on prosecution through the ministry.
Regarding Defense Minister-designate Song, Cheong Wa Dae said he is “well-qualified” to carry out military reform over the long term.
“He has expertise in defense strategy and security-related issues and has a good understanding of this government’s goals for military reform,” it said.
Serving as the chief of Naval Operations under the progressive leader Roh, Song was the key architect of Moon’s defense and security strategies during the presidential election campaign.
Labor Minister-designate Cho, a liberal professor, was among some 1,000 members of a think-tank aimed at helping Moon lay the groundwork for creating more jobs and improving the people’s living conditions
“He is considered the most suitable person to make a compromise among workers, government officials and entrepreneurs in the government’s push to create more jobs,” Cheong Wa Dae said.
Kim Eun-kyung is expected to restore the country’s ecosystem amid a controversy over the “Four Rivers Refurbishment Project,” the construction of dams on the country’s four major rivers carried out under former conservative President Lee Myung-bak.
Cheong Wa Dae said when the five nominees begin their jobs will be determined at their National Assembly confirmation hearings.
The Moon administration has underscored a set of ethical criteria in selecting top-ranking officials.
A Cheong Wa Dae official said Cho, the labor minister-designate, was found guilty of driving while intoxicated but did not cause an accident at the time.
Also, Song, the defense minister nominee, falsely registered his residential address for work purposes.
However, his false registration was a simple mistake caused by his frequent relocations as a military officer, the official said.
Vice ministers
Meanwhile, Moon appointed Han Sung-hee, head of the Seoul regional tax office, as the new head of the National Tax Service.
Moon named Yi Sung-ki, a former labor ministry official, as new vice minister of labor.
He picked Ahn Byung-ok, an environmental activist, as new vice minister at the environment ministry.
Cho Kwang, a professor emeritus at Korea University, was named to head the National Institute of Korean History.