[Breaking News]
Lee selects vetted candidate for prime ministership

Kim Hwang-sik, head of the Board of Audit and Inspection and former Supreme Court justice, was nominated to be prime minister for the embattled Lee Myung-bak administration.

Kim, 62, is a native of Jangseong, South Jeolla. He is the first prime minister-designate from South Jeolla in a country with a long history of regionalism.

After studying law at Seoul National University, Kim passed the bar exam in 1972 and completed his judicial training in 1974. Since then, he has worked as a judge in various courts nationwide until he was named the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection in September 2008.

During his career at the court, Kim headed Gwangju District Court from 2004 to 2005 and the Ministry of Court Administration in 2005. From November 2005 to July 2008, he sat on the Supreme Court bench.

Kim appeared to be a safe choice for Lee because he smoothly passed a confirmation hearing to become the head of the Board of Audit and Inspection in 2008. His ties with the Jeolla provinces is also expected to help him during confirmation hearings as the region is the traditional stronghold of the opposition Democratic Party.

Following the embarrassing withdrawal of Prime Minister-designate Kim Tae-ho, who was accused of bribery during his confirmation hearing, Lee has been looking for a candidate who can implement his new campaign of making Korea a "fair society."

By Ser Myo-ja [myoja@joongang.co.kr]

세인들 가족 관계에도 관심
김황식(62) 감사원장이 새 국무총리 후보로 지명된 16일이 마침 김 후보자의 생일로 알려져 화제가 되고 있다.

김 후보자는 음력으로 1948년 8월9일생이기 때문에 이날이 생일이다.

아직 인사 청문회 통과 절차가 남아있긴 하지만 생일날 큰 선물을 받은 셈이다.

감사원 관계자는 연합뉴스와 전화통화에서 "생일 축하한다고 말씀드릴 겨를도 없었다"면서 "생신 날 총리 후보로 지명된 것 모두 축하해야 할 것 같다"고 말했다.

그런가 하면 총리 내정 소식에 김 원장의 이력만큼이나 지역에서 명문가로 알려진 가족관계에도 세인들의 관심이 쏠리고 있다.

김 후보자는 전남 장성군 황룡면 원황룡 마을에서 한학자인 아버지 김원만 옹(작고)과 나아지(〃)여사 사이에 4남 3녀 중 막내로 태어났다.

http://article.joins.com/article/article.asp?total_id=4461971