<기사> Appointment of 10 Deputy Minister-Level Officials by the Blue House... Jeong Jong-cheol as Deputy Minister of Education, Choi Jong-moon as Second Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry also appoint vice ministers... Appointments of Defense Acquisition Program Administration Chief, Cultural Heritage Administration Chief, and National Intelligence Service First Deputy Director made as well

[Asia Economy reporters Jeong Jeong-min and Son Seon-hee] The Blue House announced on the 23rd the appointment of 10 vice minister-level officials, including Jeong Jong-cheol, Vice Minister of Education, and Choi Jong-moon, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. The effective date of the appointments announced that day is the 25th.

Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for the Blue House, said at an afternoon briefing at the Press Center, "President Moon Jae-in has made vice minister-level appointments today to secure stability in the second half of the Moon Jae-in administration's governance and to achieve results in core policies," adding, "Today's appointments follow the vice minister-level appointments made last November, placing talented individuals with both practical capabilities and morality in frontline ministries."

According to the Blue House, Jeong Jong-cheol, Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Education, was appointed Vice Minister of Education; Choi Jong-moon, former Ambassador to France, was appointed Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; Kim Jeong-bae, Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was appointed Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Park Young-beom, Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the Presidential Secretariat, was appointed Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Ryu Geun-gwan, Professor of Economics at Seoul National University, was appointed Commissioner of Statistics Korea; Kang Eun-ho, former Deputy Commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, was appointed Commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Kim Hyun-mo, Deputy Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, was appointed Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration; Yoon Hyung-jung, Cyber Intelligence Secretary at the National Security Office, was appointed First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service; Bae Ki-chan, former member of the Policy Planning Committee, was appointed Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council; and Lee Jae-gwan, Director of Local Autonomy and Decentralization at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, was appointed Chairman of the Appeals Review Board.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jeong Jong-cheol, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Education, is an education administration expert who has accumulated extensive work experience and expertise in education overall, from education policy planning to frontline educational sites. Spokesperson Kang added, "In response to COVID-19, he is expected to faithfully carry out the Moon Jae-in administration’s core education policies, such as protecting students' safety and learning rights, strengthening the public nature of education, and improving the education environment for the future."

Choi Jong-moon, the newly appointed Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, is a diplomat with diverse practical experience in multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, highly regarded for his understanding of diplomatic issues and quick situational judgment. Spokesperson Kang said, "He is expected to faithfully fulfill his duties in economic and multilateral diplomacy as well as the protection of overseas Koreans."

Kim Jeong-bae, the newly appointed Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is an administrative expert who understands the overall work of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and is evaluated as having policy planning skills and communication capabilities. Spokesperson Kang stated, "He is expected to successfully resolve urgent issues such as overcoming the crisis in the sports and tourism industries caused by COVID-19, innovating the sports sector including protecting sports human rights, and strengthening public communication on major policies."

Park Young-beom, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, is an agricultural policy expert with field understanding, policy planning, and communication skills, having served as the head of a regional agricultural network cooperative and as Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at the Presidential Secretariat. Spokesperson Kang said, "He is expected to swiftly advance core policies such as agricultural policy framework transformation, establishment of the public interest direct payment system, regional balanced New Deal, and response to livestock diseases."

Ryu Geun-gwan, the newly appointed Commissioner of Statistics Korea, is an economist and statistics expert who has researched econometrics and economic statistics for over 30 years. Spokesperson Kang said, "Based on his outstanding expertise and communication skills, he is expected to significantly contribute to raising the reliability of national statistics to a higher level while providing useful statistical information to the public."

Kang Eun-ho, the newly appointed Commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, is an administrative expert who has held major positions within the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, including Deputy Commissioner. Spokesperson Kang said, "Recognized for his expertise, rich experience, and work execution capabilities, he is expected to advance key policy tasks such as proactively securing future defense technologies and enhancing transparency and reliability in defense acquisition projects."

Kim Hyun-mo, the newly appointed Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, is a cultural administration expert who has held key positions in both the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Cultural Heritage Administration. Spokesperson Kang said, "Having been recognized for his work capabilities, drive, and organizational management skills during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of the Cultural Heritage Administration, he is expected to accomplish tasks such as fostering a world-class cultural heritage brand and promoting cultural heritage enjoyment with the public."

Yoon Hyung-jung, the newly appointed First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, is a security expert who has worked in North Korea, overseas, and planning and coordination divisions within the National Intelligence Service. Spokesperson Kang said, "As Cyber Intelligence Secretary at the National Security Office under the Moon Jae-in administration, he has been highly evaluated for his security strategy, situational judgment, and reform mindset, and is expected to lead efforts to strengthen the National Intelligence Service’s core capabilities in North Korea and overseas intelligence."

Bae Ki-chan, the newly appointed Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council, is a North Korea and unification expert and civic activist who has been active in the National Assembly, Presidential Secretariat, and civil sectors. Spokesperson Kang said, "Based on his deep understanding and passion for unification, he is expected to strengthen the president’s advisory and proposal functions on unification policy and work to enhance public understanding and communication on unification."

Additionally, Lee Jae-gwan, the newly appointed Chairman of the Appeals Review Board, is an administrative expert with diverse experience in administration and planning at central government ministries and local governments. Spokesperson Kang said, "He has been evaluated as having excellent expertise, coordination skills, and communication abilities," adding, "He is expected to contribute to realizing a trustworthy public service society through fair and objective appeals reviews and resolution of grievance cases."

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