14 Ministers to Be Named
The following lists profiles of most likely ministers of the incoming government of President Lee Myung-bak. ― ED.
By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
Minister of Strategic Planning and Finance
Kang Man-soo, 63, served as finance minister and commerce minister after becoming a civil servant in 1970. One of his achievements was a tax-cut policy implemented in 1994 and 1995 then as chief tax policy maker.
In his book titled ``30 Years of Korean Economy,'' he even suggested removing corporate tax.
A native of Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Kang stresses a more active role of the government in interest rates and foreign exchange policy.
Kang was also a close confidant of President-elect Lee Myung-bak in 2005 when Lee was mayor of Seoul. They first met at Somang Church in southern Seoul in the early 1980s.
Minster of Education and Science
Euh Yoon-dae, 63, former president of Korea University, helped Lee make policies since his run for the party primary last year.
Born in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, Euh worked as an outside director of the Hana Financial Group. He is a scholastic junior of Lee who graduated from the department of business administration of Korea University.
He contributed to the development of the university by introducing classes taught in English and modernizing university facilities.
Euh has opposed the Roh Moo-hyun government's ban on the universities' administering their own test for the selection of students.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ambassador to Tokyo Yu Myung-hwan, 62, served as vice foreign minister between 2005 and 2006. He entered the foreign ministry 35 years ago.
Yu was presidential secretary for foreign affairs in 1995 under the Kim Young-sam administration.
Yu is known as a U.S. expert as he served as director general of the North American bureau, minister and counselor of the Embassy in Washington. He was also ambassador to Israel.
Unlike other diplomats, he is very assertive when making political decisions but is reportedly subservient to people of power.
Minister of Justice
Lawyer Kim Kyung-han, 64, was vice justice minister under the Kim Dae-jung administration and built up his 30-year public service mainly as a prosecutor.
A native of Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Kim graduated from the law department of Seoul National University, and is known as being senior in human networks from Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province within the prosecution.
He sticks to principles and does not make compromises when it comes to work.
A devout Catholic, Kim is also active in volunteer work.
Minister of National Defense
Lee Sang-hee, 63, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has a reputation for his close communication with the United States, and the restoration of a strengthened Seoul-Washington alliance is his main mission.
He successfully extended the timing of the transfer of war-time operation control from the United States to Korea from 2009 to 2012.
Lee emphasizes efficiency and is known to be demanding of his subordinates.
Born in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Lee is the only native from the province among the new ministers.
Minister of Administration and Safety
Won Se-hoon, 57, served as vice Seoul mayor when Lee was mayor for two and half years. Won's performance is known to have been highly evaluated by Lee, as the average term for vice mayor is one year.
Won contributed to Lee's two main achievements as mayor: the restoration of the Cheongye stream and reorganization of bus-only lanes in Seoul.
Won enjoys absolute confidence of Lee as the President-elect once said, ``Won will work with me until the end.''
A native of Youngju, North Gyeonggi Province, Won graduated from Seoul National University.
Minister of Culture
Actor Yu In-chon, 57, has worked in TV dramas, movies, and musicals for 35 years. He first met Lee when he played Lee's character in a hit TV drama 20 years ago.
Their friendship is very strong as Lee often attended performances by Yu unannounced. Yu was also a member of Lee's camp during the presidential campaign last year.
Yu donated 200 million won to create a new actor award named after himself, and is considered one of the best Korean actors to portray Hamlet.
A Seoul native, Yu graduated from ChoongAng University in Seoul and now professor of the university.
Minister of Agriculture, Fishery and Food
Chung Woon-chun, 54, is a farmer who made a huge success in planning and marketing in the agricultural field.
His success story is covered in a sociology textbook for primary students.
Chung also graduated from Korea University like Lee and both are proved CEOs.
``We can't close the nation to foreign agricultural products. We should develop competitive products to survive,'' he said.
Born in Gochang, North Jeolla Province, he is the only minister from the province.
However, he has no government or political experience.
Minister of Knowledge-Based Economy
Vice president of the Federation of Korean Industries Lee Youn-ho, 60, served as an official at the Economic Planning Board and at the Korea Federation of Banks and as president of the LG Economic Research Institute.
He is a strong supporter of market economy with deep knowledge of private companies' operation.
Lee openly criticized what he calls corporate-unfriendly policies of the administration of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.
A native of Daejeon, Lee graduated from Yonsei University in Seoul and received a doctorate degree in economics from University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States.
Minister of Health, Welfare and Gender Equality
Kim Soung-yee, 62, social welfare professor of Ewha Womans University, advised Lee of welfare policies during Lee's term as Seoul mayor.
Kim assumed head of a forum in which 157,000 supporters of Lee participated in June, 2007 and actively joined the presidential campaign.
This is the first time for a welfare expert to become the welfare minister.
He was born in Sinuiju, North Korea, and graduated from Seoul National University.
His weakness is that he has no experience in health affairs. But aides to Lee said on the contrary it would be good for him to conduct a neutral policy.
Minister of Environment
President of YWCA in Korea Park Eun-kyung, 62, is an activist in environmental and women's right.
Gaining a Ph. D in anthropology from Ewha Womans University, Park also served as vice president of YWCA for eight years.
She first met Lee when she became a member of Green Committee of Seoul City when Lee was mayor. She contributed to the creation of Seoul Forrest with Lee.
Park, a native of Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is the only female minister of the incoming government.
Minister of Labor
Lee Young-hui, 65, labor law professor of Inha University in Incheon first entered the Grand National Party as he assumed head of the party's think tank Yeouido Institute in 1995.
Park Se-il, policy-making secretary to then President Kim Young-sam reportedly recommended Lee for the labor minister to the President-elect.
Lee Young-hui has worked as policy adviser to the former Seoul mayor since last month.
Regarding the labor issue, he said, ``Dialogue is important but observation of law is more important.''
A native of Gygeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee graduated from Seoul National University.
Minister of Homeland and Maritime Affairs
Chung Jong-hwan, 60, former president of Korea Rail Network Authority, spent his 29-year public service in transportation policy.
How he will approach Lee's plan to build the nationwide canal project will draw attention.
Chung is also renowned for his reforms in the government. He cut red tape when he was head of the nation's train service in the late 1990s.
However, some point out that he is too focused on transportation policy rather than other important areas such as real estate.
Born in Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Province, he helped Lee gain support from the province during the party primary last year.
Minister for Special Responsibility
Nam Ju-hong, 56, politics professor of Kyonggi University in Seoul, served as security adviser to former President Kim Young-sam.
Conservative security professor, Nam holds that North Korea policy should be balanced between unification and security. He said the administration of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun leaned toward unification.
``I'll do my best to resolve North Korea's nuclear weapons problem in order to implement President-elect Lee's security and diplomacy pledges,'' he said.
A native of Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, Nam had politics doctorate degree from London University.