Yoon names new unification minister in Cabinet reshuffle

Kim Yung-ho, nominee for new unification minister, speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, Thursday. Newsis

Ex-human rights diplomat to lead NK policy; weightlifting star tapped as vice sports minister

By Jung Min-ho

President Yoon Suk Yeol replaced his minister of unification and other key Cabinet members, Thursday, in a bid to breathe new life into his second year in office ahead of the most crucial political test of his five-year term early next year.

Kim Yung-ho, a professor of political diplomacy at Sungshin Women's University and a former human rights ambassador, was named as the new unification minister in charge of handling relations with North Korea.

His background, which includes his academic focus on the Korean War and past criticism of the regime's rights violations, suggests a continuation of the administration's unwavering tough stance toward the North.

In a March interview with the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, Kim said that human rights issues should be one of the key elements of South Korea's unification policy in order to garner broad international support. Without such support, the South's unification policy is doomed to fail, he said.

“I feel a heavy responsibility to take this position at a difficult time. While carrying through our principles, I will do my best to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and improve inter-Korean relations,” Kim said during a press briefing at the presidential office.

“Based on free democratic order, I will formulate a policy for peaceful unification. (While doing so,) I will try to help reach a public consensus.”

Jang Mi-ran competes in the women's over 75-kilogram category at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in this file photo. Korea Times file

Jang Mi-ran, the nation's biggest weightlifting star who won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 in the women's over 75 kilogram category, was named second vice minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Her endeavors and achievement as an athlete as well as her dedication to sports as a trainer and professor were all factors in the decision to appoint her, a high-ranking presidential staff member told reporters.

“As Korea has been making waves in the cultural sector, following the emergence of BTS and many others, I hope she would revitalize the area of sports as well,” the official said.

In another minister-level appointment, Kim Hong-il, a lawyer and former chief of the Busan High Prosecutors Office, was picked to lead the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

“He has extensive knowledge of and experience in law. Given his upright reputation, he was considered as the [best] person to promptly normalize its corruption-fighting function,” Kim Dae-ki, Yoon's chief of staff, said.

The reshuffle comes as Yoon enters his second year in office facing tough and complex challenges.

The performance of the new Cabinet members in handling major issues, ranging from the North's growing security threats to efforts to stamp out corruption, is expected to affect the results of the general elections set for April 10, 2024. With a stalemate at the National Assembly plaguing Yoon since the beginning of his tenure, how the ruling party performs on election day will unleash the potential of ― or set frustrating limits to ― his presidency.

Lee Dong-kwan, a special adviser to the president and former senior presidential secretary for press affairs under the Lee Myung-bak administration, was expected to be selected as the next chief of the Korea Communications Commission, a media regulation agency.

However, he was not included in the reshuffle list, possibly because of controversy and the political noise his appointment would bring. He was accused of playing a chief role in suppressing press freedom while in office.

In addition to Jang at the sports ministry, Ambassador to Vietnam Oh Young-ju was named second vice foreign minister, while Ambassador to Thailand Moon Seoung-hyun was tapped as vice unification minister.

Clockwise from top left are Kim Wan-sub, second vice finance minister nominee; Cho Seong-kyung, nominee for first vice minister of Science and ICT; Oh Young-ju, second vice foreign minister nominee; Moon Seoung-hyun, vice unification minister nominee; Jang Mi-ran, nominee for second vice minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Han Hoon, nominee for vice minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Lim Sang-jun, nominee for vice minister of Environment; Kim Chae-hwan, nominee for the president of the National Human Resources Development Institute; Oh Kee-woong, nominee for vice minister of SMEs and Startups; Park Sung-hoon, nominee for vice minister of Oceans and Fisheries; Baek Won-kug, nominee for second vice minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation; Kim Oh-jin, nominee for first vice minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; and Lee Sung-hee, nominee for vice minister of Employment and Labor. Yonhap

Kim Wan-sub, chief of the budget office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was named its second vice minister, while Cho Seong-kyung, presidential secretary for science and technology, was named first vice science minister.

Han Hoon, head of Statistics Korea, was tapped as vice agriculture minister, while Lim Sang-jun, presidential secretary for national agenda, was named vice environment minister.

The president also selected Lee Sung-hee, a researcher at the Korea Labor Institute, as vice labor minister and Kim Oh-jin, presidential secretary for general affairs, as first vice land minister. Baek Won-kug, presidential secretary for land, infrastructure and transport, was named its second vice minister.

Meanwhile, Park Sung-hoon, presidential secretary for national planning, was named vice oceans minister, while Oh Kee-woong, planning and coordination chief at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, was named its vice minister.

Also included are Kim Soo-kyung, a social welfare professor at Hanshin University, Yoon's new unification secretary and Kim Chae-hwan, a former professor at Seoul Cyber University as new president of the National Human Resources Development Institute.