Yoon Seok-yeol Appoints Ahn Cheol-soo as Transition Committee Chair and Kwon Young-se as Vice Chair... Ahn "Fruit of Promise and Trust" (Comprehensive)

Yoon "Ahn Cheol-soo Judged Suitable"
Ahn to Also Serve as Special Committee Chair for COVID Emergency Response
Yoon Expresses Willingness to Abolish Ministry of Gender Equality and Accept Daejang-dong Special Prosecutor

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong, Lee Hyunju, Park Juni, Kwon Hyunji] President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol has appointed Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, as chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee (Transition Committee), Kwon Young-se as vice chairman, and Won Hee-ryong, former governor of Jeju Province, as planning committee chairman. He also announced the composition plan of the Transition Committee, which consists of seven divisions and three special committees.

On the afternoon of the 13th, President-elect Yoon held a press conference at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, “We will serve the people properly as the true owners with a capable and competent government and achieve national unity.”

Regarding the appointment of Ahn as chairman of the Transition Committee, Yoon explained, “After the election, I requested and Ahn took the position first. Ahn also has the will to lead the Transition Committee, and I judged him to be the right person.”

He continued about Vice Chairman Kwon, “As you know well, Representative Kwon has shown capable and stable leadership during the recent election process with his rich legislative experience and expertise. I believe he will successfully lead the government transition work together with Chairman Ahn.”

Regarding Planning Committee Chairman Won, he said, “Former Governor Won planned the overall pledges as the head of the policy headquarters of the People Power Party’s election campaign. The Planning Committee is to properly fulfill the promises I made to the people during the election process and to efficiently promote them by effectively reflecting them in the new government’s policy tasks.”

Organizational Chart of the Presidential Transition Committee.
[Photo by Eunhye Kim, Spokesperson for the President-elect]

The Transition Committee will assign a total of 24 transition members across seven divisions, including the chairman, vice chairman, and planning committee chairman. One National Unity Committee and two special committees?the COVID-19 Emergency Response Special Committee and the Regional Balanced Development Special Committee?will also be established.

President-elect Yoon said, “The National Unity Committee is to achieve true national unity that encompasses regions, classes, and generations through competent and capable state administration.”

Chairman Ahn will also serve concurrently as chairman of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Special Committee. Yoon said, “It will comprehensively address rapid loss compensation for small business owners and self-employed people, as well as quarantine and medical issues. By having the Transition Committee chairman also serve as chairman of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Special Committee, we will ensure more responsible management.”

Regarding the Regional Balanced Development Special Committee, Yoon said, “Our people have the right to be treated fairly regardless of where they live. I will promptly reflect the regional pledges I promised in the new government’s national agenda and carefully ensure that people do not suffer disadvantages in opportunities wherever they live.”

Regarding the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which was announced as a major campaign pledge during the presidential candidacy, he said, “Hasn’t the ministry fulfilled its historical mission?” indicating the need to reorganize the government structure. He said, “Former President Kim Dae-jung established this ministry and it has played a role through many legislations, but from now on, it is more appropriate to respond more decisively to individual and specific unfair cases or criminal matters,” adding, “I think we need to design an effective government organization to more effectively address unfairness, human rights violations, and rights remedies.”

Regarding the Daejang-dong special prosecution, which the Democratic Party of Korea announced it would handle in the March extraordinary session of the National Assembly, he said, “Any measures that can clearly uncover the truth must be done in front of the people,” effectively expressing willingness to accept it.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Immediately after the appointment announcement, Hong Kyung-hee, chief deputy spokesperson of the People’s Party, issued a statement saying, “This is evaluated as the first fruit of the promise and trust between President-elect Yoon and Leader Ahn toward a joint government,” and “Now that the first button toward a national unity government has been fastened, Leader Ahn will do his best to select national agendas that meet public expectations and to transition to a better government.”

Leader Ahn majored in medicine at Seoul National University and completed his master’s and doctorate degrees in medicine at the same university’s graduate school. He then pursued a master’s degree in engineering and an MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served as head of the premedical department at Dankook University College of Medicine, endowed professor at KAIST Graduate School of Technology Management, and dean of the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University.

In 1995, he founded AhnLab, Inc., and served as chairman of its board from 2005 to 2012. He entered politics by running in the 2013 by-election for Nowon-gu B constituency in Seoul and served as co-leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy in 2014. In 2016, he founded the People’s Party and was elected in the 20th general election for Nowon-gu B. After serving as future recruitment committee chairman of the Bareunmirae Party, he founded the People’s Party again in 2020 and currently serves as its leader.

Vice Chairman Kwon also posted on Facebook on the same day, saying, “Together with Chairman Ahn, transition committee members, and experts from various fields, I will present the vision and goals to ensure the successful launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol government that establishes fairness and common sense, looks only to the people, and pursues the future, and to achieve efficient and practical state administration.”

Vice Chairman Kwon, a former prosecutor (25th bar exam), was elected as a four-term lawmaker representing Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in the 21st general election. Born in Seoul, he graduated from Paejae High School and Seoul National University Law School. He left public office in 1998 as deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office and opened a law firm. He entered politics in August 2002 by running as the Grand National Party candidate in the by-election for Yeongdeungpo-eul, Seoul, and served three consecutive terms in the 16th to 18th National Assembly. He also served as chief of the comprehensive situation room for Park Geun-hye’s presidential campaign in 2012. During the Park Geun-hye administration, he served as ambassador to China from 2013 to 2016. He has served as party strategy planning chairman, Supreme Council member, and secretary-general three times including this presidential election, and was chairman of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee in the 18th National Assembly.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Planning Committee Chairman Won also posted on Facebook, saying, “My mission is to properly reflect the promises made to the people during the election in the new government’s policies,” and expressed his ambition, “As the policy headquarters director who ‘honestly’ ‘takes responsibility,’ I will devote myself to election after-service.”

Born in Jeju, he majored in public law at Seoul National University and completed a master’s degree in North Korean studies at Gyeongnam University Graduate School and a master’s degree in new media at Hanyang University Graduate School of Media and Communication. He worked as a prosecutor at the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office in 1998, then entered politics by running as the Grand National Party candidate in the 16th National Assembly election in 2000. He was consecutively elected to the 17th and 18th National Assembly. He ran for governor of Jeju in 2014, was elected, and was re-elected in 2018.

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