Moon replaces senior aides
Cho Kuk, right, outgoing senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, gets a hug from President Moon Jae-in's chief of staff Noh Young-min during a press briefing to announce new senior secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Friday. Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jin
By Do Je-hae
President Moon Jae-in replaced three senior presidential aides, Friday, including one of his top lieutenants Cho Kuk ahead of an upcoming Cabinet reshuffle planned next month.
Cheong Wa Dae said the President named Korea Aerospace Industries CEO Kim Jo-won, as Cho's replacement as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs. Kim previously served at the presidential office and the Board of Audit and Inspection after passing the civil service exam in 1978.
Secretary for job creation Hwang Deok-soon was promoted to replace outgoing senior secretary for job creation Jung Tae-ho. Kim Geo-sung, former head of Transparency International-Korea, was named as senior secretary for civic and social affairs, replacing Lee Yong-sun.
The media focus was on Cho as he is widely expected to be nominated as the new justice minister in the Cabinet reshuffle, according to presidential aides and officials at the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). The President has shown his trust in Cho, defying the opposition's calls to dismiss him for a series of mishaps during his two-year tenure at Cheong Wa Dae.
Under his leadership, the civil affairs secretariat has faced criticism for a series of blunders, particularly a flawed screening process in appointing high-level officials. In addition the presidential office was hit for a lack of discipline following allegations of illegal spying on officials and ministries by a special inspection bureau that reported to Cho.
The opposition has slammed him for his remarks on the ongoing trade row between South Korea and Japan on Facebook, claiming that he was being too vocal about issues that were not part of his duties as senior secretary for civil affairs. In a recent Facebook post, he said that those who disagreed with a 2018 Supreme Court ruling on forced laborers during the Japanese occupation of Korea were “pro-Japanese.”
“I respect the scathing criticism from some members of the opposition and media,” Cho said during a press briefing held Friday afternoon at Cheong Wa Dae press center to introduce new senior secretaries. “I have tried to carry out my duties through direct communication with the people, unlike my predecessors.”
Presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min noted Cho's efforts as Moon's first senior secretary for civil affairs in spearheading various initiatives for judicial reform, such as strengthening the independence of investigative agencies. Judicial reform was one of President Moon's top priorities.
If Moon names Cho as justice minister, the appointment is expected to face a backlash from the opposition, which is opposed to “promoting” Cho to a ministerial position after the problems they alleged he caused at Cheong Wa Dae.
The change of senior aides and the upcoming reshuffle suggest the Moon administration and DPK are bracing for next year's general election. The outgoing secretaries for job creation and civic and social affairs could run in the elections. In the upcoming reshuffle, the President is expected to replace some ministers who are also expected to seek elected positions. Reports said Cho may consider running in Busan if he does not get the ministerial post.
Other close aides to Moon such as Yang Jung-chul, director of a DPK think tank, are preparing strategies for the election by communicating with various sectors. Recently, Yang met with members of think tanks linked to major conglomerates, including LG, Hyundai, Samsung and SK, to hear their opinions.