President Moon Appoints Kang Min-seok, Former JoongAng Ilbo Reporter, as Blue House Spokesperson (Comprehensive)

New Appointments for Cheongwadae Spokesperson and Press Secretary... "Evaluated Based on Ability" Amid Controversy Over Journalistic Background

[Asia Economy reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Son Seon-hee] Kang Min-seok, former political chief of JoongAng Ilbo, has been appointed as the Blue House spokesperson, serving as the 'voice' of President Moon Jae-in. Han Jeong-woo, deputy spokesperson who has assisted President Moon since his time as a member of the National Assembly, has been nominated as the head of the Chunghwagwan press center.

Yoon Do-han, Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Communication, announced on the afternoon of the 6th at the Chunghwagwan in the Blue House that President Moon plans to appoint former deputy spokesperson Kang as the Blue House spokesperson and deputy spokesperson Han as the head of Chunghwagwan. Both the Blue House spokesperson and the head of Chunghwagwan hold secretary-level positions. Spokesperson Kang is a journalist who previously served as deputy editor of JoongAng Ilbo.

Senior Secretary Yoon said, "Spokesperson Kang began his journalism career at Kyunghyang Shinmun in 1992 and moved to JoongAng Ilbo in 2001, gaining extensive experience through long-term media activities," adding, "Based on this experience, we expect him to demonstrate strong capabilities in communicating with the public on behalf of the Blue House."

Additionally, Senior Secretary Yoon stated, "Han Jeong-woo, head of Chunghwagwan, has served as the full-time deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea and as a Blue House deputy spokesperson," adding, "He has worked closely with the media and is expected to play a significant role in managing Chunghwagwan."

Regarding the personnel appointment, Head of Chunghwagwan Han said, "I want to be someone who is not ashamed even to my own generation, and so I will strive to be a reliable worker of the Republic of Korea, trusted by elders above and youth below as the backbone of generations and the pillar of society, and be evaluated by everyone accordingly."

Han also said, "Throughout my career, I have never bypassed any relationships or been suddenly appointed to any position," adding, "I believe I have come this far step by step, being evaluated on each process of my work." He expressed his commitment to live with the belief that he is not an outstanding person but a steadfast one who moves society forward.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

With Han Jeong-woo’s appointment as head of Chunghwagwan, the vacant Blue House deputy spokesperson position is expected to be filled. However, it has not yet been decided whether there will be one or two deputy spokespersons.

A senior Blue House official commented on Kang Min-seok’s entry into the Blue House, having recently worked as a journalist at JoongAng Ilbo, saying, "It is an evaluation of Deputy Editor Kang Min-seok’s abilities," and "We expect his future role." Regarding the controversy over journalists moving directly into Blue House positions, the official added, "It is about recognizing individual abilities and appointing accordingly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.