Blue House’s spokespeople named

Kim Haing and Yoon Chang-jung

President Park Geun-hye named Yoon Chang-jung, spokesman of her transition team, and Kim Haing, a veteran pollster, as the new spokespeople the Blue House.

The 56-year-old Yoon is a former journalist who served as Park’s spokesman since her presidential victory in December last year and also the transition team. Yoon began his career as at the Hankook Ilbo in 1981. He then worked for KBS, Segye Ilbo and Munhwa Ilbo. Before working for Park, he published a blog, through which he voiced his conservative views. Yoon is a native of Nonsan, South Chungcheong and graduated from Korea University.

Kim, 53, was named Sunday as the presidential spokeswoman. Kim currently works as the vice chairman of Wikitree, a social media news service.

A native of Seoul, Kim is a Yonsei University graduate who is known as a polling expert. She worked as a researcher at the Korea Social Development Research Institute and head of a survey team at the JoongAng Ilbo.

During the 2002 presidential election, Kim made her political debut as spokeswoman in Chung Mong-joon’s short-lived campaign. The appointments prompted criticism from the main opposition Democratic United Party. Since Yoon was transition team spokesman, the DUP made clear its opposition against him based on his previous criticisms of the party.

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