Ex-lawmaker named SME minister

By Kim Rahn

Hong Jong-haak

Hong Jong-haak, a former lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has been named to lead the SMEs and startups ministry, a role that has been vacant for nearly three months since its establishment in July.

Cheong Wa Dae said Monday President Moon Jae-in nominated the 58-year-old for the minister position.

Moon initially named Pohang University of Science and Technology professor Park Seong-jin for the post, but he failed to win over the National Assembly due to controversial historical and religious views and withdrew from the nomination in mid-September.

“We’ve screened a dozen candidates after Park’s withdrawal, and we concluded Hong has both theory and field experience in economy,” presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.

The nominee became a lawmaker in 2012 as a proportional representative, and was a vice chief of Moon’s policy panel within the party. Before becoming a lawmaker, he was a policy head of the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice.

He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics at Yonsei University and his doctorate at UC San Diego.