President-elect unveils final group of transition committee appointees
From left are scientist-turned politician and former lawmaker Shin Yong-hyun, a spokeswoman for President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition committee; Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine professor Peck Kyong-ran, a member of the social, welfare and culture division under the transition committee; Nam Ki-tae, professor at the department of materials science and engineering of Seoul National University, a member of the science, technology and education division under the transition committee; and Ko San, astronaut and CEO and co-founder of ATEAM Ventures, a member of the second economy division under the transition committee / Yonhap
Ex-lawmaker Shin Yong-hyun named as spokeswoman of the transition committee
By Jung Da-min
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol named Shin Yong-hyun, a former lawmaker who served as chief campaign manager for Ahn Cheol-soo, as spokeswoman of his presidential transition committee.
Journalist-turned politician Won Il-hee and lawyer Choi Ji-hyeon also have been named as vice spokespeople of the transition team.
On Thursday, Yoon's spokeswoman Rep. Kim Eun-hye announced nominations for heads and members of three divisions of the presidential committee, including the second economy division, the science, technology and education division and the social, welfare and culture division.
Among the 11 newly appointed committee members are Ko San, an astronaut, CEO and co-founder of ATEAM Ventures, as a member of the second economy division; Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine professor Peck Kyong-ran as a member of the social, welfare and culture division; and Nam Ki-tae, professor at the department of materials science and engineering of Seoul National University, as a member of the science, technology and education division.
The appointments of the three have drawn keen attention from the public as Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the minor opposition conservative People's Party and head of Yoon's transition committee, had recommended them to Yoon. Ahn had withdrew his presidential candidacy just a week ahead of the March 9 presidential election to throw his support behind Yoon.
Yoon and Ahn vowed to form a political coalition and unite the parties in the near future.
“I want to shine a spotlight on new businesses that are in the blind spot of government support despite their high growth potential,” Ko said in an interview with local economic newspaper Money Today, Thursday.
“For the past 10 years or so, I have experienced the reality of industrial sites one by one from the ground level, while helping young people start their own businesses, by establishing a non-profit corporation and operating my own startup company... In particular, while operating a new platform business to innovate the manufacturing ecosystem by combining traditional industries such as manufacturing with advanced IT, I realized that the government's understanding and support for these new industries is still insufficient,” Ko said.
KAIST College of Business professor Lee Chang-yang, two-term lawmaker Rep. Park Sung-joong and labor activist-turned-lawmaker Rep. Lim Lee-ja were named as heads of the second economy division, science, technology and education division and social, welfare and culture division, respectively.
With Thursday's nominations, Yoon's transition committee is set to officially kick off on Friday morning.
Earlier in the week, the committee nominated heads and members for four other divisions ― the planning and coordination division, the diplomacy and security division, the state affairs, judiciary and administrative division and the first economy division.
“The nomination of members for the transition committee has been completed and we are planning to hold an inauguration ceremony for the committee tomorrow morning,” spokeswoman Kim said during a press briefing at the PPP headquarters in Seoul, Thursday.
On the same day, Yoon held a luncheon meeting with Kim Han-gil, former head of the ruling liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) who became chairman of the transition committee's national unity division, and Kim Byong-joon, former interim head of the Liberty Korea Party, a predecessor of the PPP, who has been appointed chairman of the transition committee's balanced development division.