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Park reshuffles presidential senior aides

Published: 05 Aug. 2013, 14:10

Kim Ki-choon

President Park Geun-hye today replaced several senior aides at the Blue House, appointing Kim Ki-choon, a former lawmaker with lengthy experience in the prosecution, as her new chief of staff.

Kim is a 73-year-old former justice minister and former prosecutor-general who also served three terms as a ruling party lawmaker.

The president also appointed veteran diplomat Park Joon-woo as her new senior political affairs secretary. The post has been vacant for about two months after Lee Jung-hyun became senior secretary for public relations.

Selecting a diplomat as senior political secretary, not a politician, was an unusual choice.

Hong Kyung-shik, a retired prosecutor with two decades of experience, was named the new senior secretary for civil affairs.

Yoon Chang-bun, an information and communication specialist who is a former chairman of Hanaro Telecom, was appointed senior secretary for future strategy.

Park also appointed Choi Won-young, former vice minister of health and welfare, as her new senior secretary for employment and welfare.

According to senior public relations secretary Lee, Park decided to reshuffle the senior aides to more aggressively push forward her agenda. The reshuffle came five months after Park’s inauguration.

By Ser Myo-ja [[email protected]]