Cabinet Reorganization of Three Ministries Park Bong-heum as Policy Director to the President

President Roh Moo-hyun performed a small-scale reorganization in the cabinet on December 28, appointing Oh Myeong, President of Ajou University, as Minister of Science and Technology and changing three ministers.

Kang Dong-suk, President of Korea Electric Power Corporation, was appointed as Minister of Construction and Transportation, and Kim Byung-il, member of Finance and Currency Committee, as Minister of Planning and Budget. In addition, it has been unofficially decided that the former minister of Planning and Budget, Park Bong-heum, will hold office as the policy director to the president. The position is equivalent in the hierarchy to that of minister.

President Roh will present the certificate of appointment to Minister Oh on December 29, and Kim and Park will be officially bestowed with their respective certificates promptly after the budget for the new year passes in the National Assembly.

Chung Chan-yong, Chief Secretary of Personnel Management to the president, said on the same day of the appointment, “The newly appointed minister, Oh Myeong, is knowledgeable in the science and technology area and has worked in creating the foundation for IT (information technology) advancement in Korea while demonstrating superb management skills as an executive officer of a press company and a leader of various ministries.” Chung added, “We have determined him to be a person suitable for the post that involves managing impending issues of the science and technology industry such as nurturing next-generation industry and science and technology manpower.”

Also, Chung said, “The newly appointed Kang Dong-suk is a fine professional executive officer who has demonstrated his abilities while pushing forward large-scale national projects without any problem. The newly appointed Lim Byung-il is a professional government officer who has accumulated experience in various fields of budgeting and economic policies.” He added, “If there are ministers resigning from their posts to run for next year’s general election, there can be another reform before February 15, the deadline for resignation from the cabinet.”

In addition to this shift in the cabinet, it is likely that President Roh will hold another cabinet reform to rename the ministers who will run for the general election between January 11, when the Uri Party’s convention is held, and February 15, the deadline for the resignation from the cabinet to run for the 17th general election.

The cabinet members mentioned for the second reform include: deputy prime minister and minister of Finance and Economy Kim Jin-pyo, minister of Judiciary Kang Keum-sil, minister of Environment Han Myeong-suk, minister of Labor Kwon Ki-hong, section chief of State Affairs coordination Lee Young-tak and others. From the secretarial office to the president, it is predicted that numerous secretaries, such as section chief Moon Hee-sang, Chief Secretary of State Affairs Yoo In-tae, Chief Secretary of Personnel Management Chung Chan-yong, and Chief Secretary of Popular Participation Park Ju-hyun, will run in the general election next year.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com