President's Office Appoints Kim Su-gyeong as New Spokesperson... Jo Sang-myeong Named Head of National Situation Room

Scheduled to officially begin duties on the 4th
Following senior-level changes, secretary reshuffle to be completed soon

Kim Su-gyeong, the Secretary for Unification, was appointed as the spokesperson of the Presidential Office, known as the president's voice, and Cho Sang-myeong, the Secretary for Social Integration, was appointed as the Director of the National Situation Room, which responds to security and disaster situations. These appointments were made following the promotion of Lee Do-woon, the former spokesperson, and Han Oh-seop, the former Director of the National Situation Room, to Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, respectively.

According to the Presidential Office on the 3rd, President Yoon Suk-yeol recently approved the appointment of the new spokesperson Kim Su-gyeong and the new Director of the National Situation Room Cho Sang-myeong. Their terms will begin on the 4th, and they will officially start their duties alongside the new Policy Chief and Senior Secretaries.

Spokesperson Kim graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in Linguistics and worked as a reporter for the Dong-A Ilbo before earning a Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford University in the United States. She has served as a research professor at Korea University, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, a member of the Unification Ministry’s Education Committee, and a policy advisory member. In July, while serving as a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Hanshin University, she was appointed Secretary for Unification.

Kim Soo-kyung, New Presidential Office Spokesperson [Image Source=Yonhap News]

Although she comes from a journalism background, she is highly regarded for her expertise in security, having researched North Korean human rights. Additionally, Kim, born in 1976 (age 47), fits the 'female talent born in the 1970s' criterion recently emphasized by President Yoon.

Director Cho, born in 1966 and originally from Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk, graduated from Hanyang University with a degree in Public Administration and entered public service by passing the 36th Administrative Examination. After working at Seoul City Hall, he participated in the Presidential Transition Committee of former President Lee Myung-bak in 2008. He later moved to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, where he served as Director of the Safety Policy Office. The National Situation Room previously handled security, disaster, and political affairs, but with the removal of political affairs, its role has been reduced to security and disaster management.

Josangmyeong, New Director of the National Situation Room

The reorganization of the Presidential Office’s staff below the secretary level is expected to be completed soon. This is to establish the second phase of the Presidential Office ahead of the third year of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Earlier, President Yoon changed the Presidential Office structure from two offices and six senior secretaries to three offices and six senior secretaries, replacing all senior-level aides.

Choi Jae-hyeok, former president of Jeju MBC, has been appointed as the new Secretary for Public Relations Planning and has started his duties. Cha Soon-o, Director of Political Affairs at the Office for Government Policy Coordination, is expected to be appointed soon as the successor to Jeon Hee-kyung, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs 1, who resigned to run in the general election. A bureaucrat has been nominated as the successor to Jeon Gwang-sam, former Secretary for Citizen Communication.