President Yoon Appoints Cho Kyu-hong, 1st Vice Minister, as Candidate for Minister of Health and Welfare
Kim Dae-gi Chief Secretary "Experienced Economic Bureaucrat Skilled in Budget and Finance... Participated in Past Pension and Health Insurance Reforms"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 7th, President Yoon Seok-yeol nominated Cho Kyu-hong, the 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare (acting Minister), as the candidate for Minister of Health and Welfare.
The position of Minister of Health and Welfare had been vacant for about 100 days since the resignation of former Minister Kwon Deok-cheol, following the successive withdrawals of candidates Jeong Ho-young and Kim Seung-hee after the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration.
Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi announced the nomination plan in a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, stating that President Yoon had nominated Cho as the new candidate for Minister of Health and Welfare. Cho served as a specialist in the Economic Division 1 of the Presidential Transition Committee and was appointed as the 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare on May 9, one day before the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol government.
Although Cho is a traditional economic bureaucrat, he is regarded as a 'budget expert' who has also participated in reforms of the budget, pensions, and health insurance. Chief Secretary Kim said, "Cho is an economic bureaucrat well-versed in budget and finance," adding, "In the past, while handling budgets, he actively participated in reforms related to pensions and health insurance."
Kim also added that they considered Cho’s 100-day performance as the current 1st Vice Minister of Health and Welfare and the continuity of work promotion.
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In a press release distributed to the media, the Presidential Office explained the reason for the nomination, stating, "Cho led the formulation of 'Vision 2030,' Korea’s first long-term national vision in 2006, which focused on expanding financial investment in the welfare sector," and described him as "the right person to lead the Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s core national tasks, including promoting mutually beneficial pension reform, improving efficiency in social welfare and health care financial expenditures, reforming the health insurance system, and strengthening essential public medical services."
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