By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
President-elect Lee Myung-bak announced the breakdown of weeks of inter-party talks on downsizing the government Monday and made public 15 nominees for his first Cabinet.
The pro-government United Democratic Party criticized the nominations as ``illegal'' and threatened to boycott nomination hearings before he takes the oath of office on Feb. 25.
The nomination came after the UDP and the Grand National Party (GNP) showed little sign of backing off from their opposing stances on the proposed government reorganization bill.
Unless any dramatic compromise is reached, the incoming Lee administration might have no choice but to wait until the next National Assembly is convened around June to put into action his government reform plan. The general elections are to be held on April 9.
Lee named Kim Doh-yeon, 56, a materials science professor of Seoul National University, as minister of education and human resources development.
Lee had originally planned to designate Euh Yoon-dae, a former president of Korea University, to head the education ministry. According to the reform bill, it is supposed to become the Ministry of Education and Science. Euh was dropped from the list after his wife's alleged excessive real estate speculation was made public.
Kang Man-soo, 63, a former vice finance minister, was appointed as minister of finance and economy. Born in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, Kang worked as vice finance minister after he began his bureaucratic career in 1970.
Kang was also a close confidant of Lee in 2005 when the President-elect was the mayor of Seoul.
Yu Myung-hwan, ambassador to Japan, was named to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Unification under the proposed plan).
With 35 years of experience, Yu, 61, served as vice foreign minister between 2005 and 2006.
Lee Sang-hee, 63, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was nominated as defense minister.
Lawyer Kim Kyung-han, 64, was designated as justice minister. He served as chief of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
Lee Youn-ho, 61, vice chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries, was appointed to lead the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (the Knowledge-based Ministry under the plan).
Actor Yu In-chon was appointed as minister of culture and tourism. He was a member of the Lee Myung-bak camp during the presidential campaign last December. The 56-year-old is now a professor at ChungAng University.
The next President selected Chung Woon-chun, 54, chairman of the Korea Agriculture CEO Association, as minister of agriculture and forestry.
Park Eun-kyung, 62, a woman activist for the environment, was named as minister of the environment; professor Kim Soung-yee, 62, of Ewha Womans University, was tapped as minister of health and welfare; and professor Lee Young-hui, 65, of Inha University, will head up the Ministry of Labor.
Won Se-hoon, who served as vice Seoul mayor for two-and-a-half years when Lee was mayor, was named minister of government administration and home affairs (minister of administration and security under the plan).
Chung Jong-hwan, 60, who was appointed construction and transportation minister is a career administrator who accumulated his expertise developing the nation's transportation-related policies.
Lee also named two more Cabinet ministers. They are Korea Freedom League Vice Chairwoman Lee Choon-ho, 63, and Kyonggi University Professor Nam Joo-hong, 56.
The appointment of the two ministers to be in charge of women's and North Korean affairs, respectively, indicates that the next government might retain the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and the Ministry of Unification depending on inter-party negotiations on the government downsizing plan, Lee's aides said.