Park names spymaster as chief of staff
By Yi Whan-woo
Chief of staff Lee Byung-kee
Lee Byung-ho NIS director
Kim Sung-woo Press secretary
President Park Geun-hye has named National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Lee Byung-kee as her new chief of staff, Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday.
Lee’s deputy Lee Byung-ho was nominated as NIS chief, while Kim Sung-woo, Park’s special advisor on social and cultural affairs, replaced Yoon Doo-hyun as senior presidential press secretary.
After serving as the country’s spymaster from July last year, Lee Byung-kee, 67, will replace Kim Ki-choon as the new chief of staff. The appointment completes the President’s personnel reshuffle in the wake of a sharp fall in her popularity ratings.
On Feb. 17, Park accepted Kim’s resignation after mounting pressure to sack him following a series of botched efforts in state management.
“Lee served as a former presidential secretary for protocol, ambassador to Japan and NIS chief,” presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said.
“He has a proven track record of handling international issues, inter-Korean ties and presidential affairs. We expect he will lead the presidential secretaries well.”
Lee is a former Korea’s top envoy to Japan from May 2013 to July last year.
He worked as an advisor at the Yeouido Institute, the ruling Saenuri Party’s think tank, in December 2012 during Park’s presidential campaign.
In 2007, he was a campaign strategist for Park in her presidential primary for the Grand National Party, the predecessor of the Saenuri Party. Park failed to win the primary back then.
He initially built his reputation at the country’s spy agency from 1996 to 1998.
From 1990 to 1993, Lee was a presidential secretary for protocol under then-President Roh Tae-woo.
Kim Kyung-jae, a former Saenuri Party lawmaker, was appointed to succeed Kim Sung-woo.
Park picked the incumbent ruling party legislators — Joo Ho-young, Kim Jae-won and Yoon Sang-hyun — to serve as her special advisors on state affairs. Cheong Wa Dae created the posts this year as part of Park’s plan for government restructuring.
On Feb. 17, the President replaced three of her Cabinet members — the ministers of unification, infrastructure and transport, as well as maritime affairs — plus the chairman of the Financial Services Commission.
Former Saenuri Party lawmaker Lee Wan-koo was also inaugurated as the prime minister with parliamentary endorsement after Park picked him for the post in January.