Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
President Yoon fills two remaining Cabinet minister positions with women
From left are Education Minister nominee Park Soon-ae, Health Minister nominee Kim Seung-hee and Drug Safety Minister nominee Oh Yu-kyoung. / Courtesy of presidential office
By Nam Hyun-woo
Professor of pharmacy tapped for food and drug safety minister
By Nam Hyun-woo
President Yoon Suk-yeol nominated two women as the education and health ministers, amid criticisms that his Cabinet is male-dominated.
The presidential office announced Thursday that Yoon has named Park Soon-ae as the deputy prime minister and minister of education and Kim Seung-hee as the minister of health and welfare. Yoon also nominated Oh Yu-kyoung as the minister of food and drug safety, which, though it has the title of “minister,” is at the deputy minister level.
The designations came after Yoon's earlier nominations of the education and health ministers each withdrew their candidacies from consideration after facing allegations that that they abused their power to advance their children's academic careers.
Education Minister nominee Park earned her doctoral degree in public administration at the University of Michigan, and is now a professor at Seoul National University. She was a member of Yoon's presidential transition committee, where she played a role in setting administrative initiatives.
“Park understands the policy principles of the Yoon administration as she served on the presidential transition committee,” the presidential office said in a statement. “The office believes she is the right figure to improve the inefficiencies of the education system and spearhead key educational policy goals of the government.”
Health Minister nominee Kim is a former lawmaker with expertise in medical, healthcare and drug policies. She earned her doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame in the U.S., and spent most of her career at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, becoming its minister in 2015 and 2016 during the Park Geun-hye administration. She was a lawmaker in the National Assembly from 2016 to 2020.
“Kim is a medical and healthcare expert who led the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation and the Ministry of Food and Drug,” the presidential office said. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, she have been offering various health and welfare policy options, and her experience and expertise will assist the government to achieve its healthcare and medical policy goals.”
Drug Safety Minister nominee Oh is the dean of Seoul National University's College of Pharmacy. She earned her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences at the University at Buffalo.
The nominations came after Yoon faced criticisms that his Cabinet is dominated by men.
During a dinner with lawmakers, Tuesday, President Yoon said, “I was enlightened by the criticisms” and “will provide bold opportunities for women in government jobs.”
So far, he has appointed 16 ministers, three of which are women ― Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook, Startups Minister Lee Young and Environment Minister Han Wha-jin ― or 19 percent of his Cabinet.
When the education and health minister nominees are appointed after their confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, the number will increase to five, or 28 percent of Yoon's Cabinet. The drug safety ministry and its head are each called a “ministry” and “minister” in their official English titles, but the ministry is headed by a vice-minister-level figure.