[Exclusive] Ministry of Education Transition Team Personnel Confirmed... Hwang Hong-gyu Appointed as Specialist Committee Member

Director-level Kim Ilsu, Industry-Academic Cooperation Policy Officer
Manager-level Jo Hunhee, Budget Officer Dispatched

Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of the transition committee, is attending the 2nd plenary meeting of the 20th Presidential Transition Committee held on the 21st at the transition office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] One director-level and one section chief-level official from the Ministry of Education have been confirmed to be dispatched to the Presidential Transition Committee.

According to the Transition Committee and the Ministry of Education on the 21st, Kim Ilsu, Director of Industry-Academia Cooperation Policy, and Cho Hunhee, Budget Officer, are known to be dispatched to the Transition Committee starting today. Both have the common experience of being in charge of higher education policies.

Kim Ilsu, a director-level official, has served as the Social Policy General Manager, Head of Industry-Academia Cooperation Policy Division, and Head of Regional University Policy Division. Cho Hunhee, a section chief-level official, has held key positions in the Professor Learning Evaluation Division and College Admission Policy Division.

Since there was no education expert in the Transition Committee regarding education policy and there were even discussions about integrating with other departments, it is known that the Ministry had difficulty selecting the recommended list.

Former Secretary-General of the University Education Council, Hwang Honggyu, will also join as an education specialist. Former Secretary-General Hwang is from the Ministry of Education and has served as Deputy Superintendent of Jeonbuk Office of Education, Deputy Superintendent of Gwangju Office of Education, and Student Welfare and Safety Officer at the Ministry of Education’s Education Policy Office.

The Ministry of Education is considering a plan to merge with the Ministry of Science and ICT under the tentative name "Ministry of Science and Technology Education." Ahn Cheolsoo, the head of the Transition Committee, has pledged to transfer education policy decision-making authority to the National Education Commission, which will be launched in July.

Professor Lee Juho of the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, who served as Minister of Education, Science and Technology during the Lee Myung-bak administration and is part of the ‘K-Policy Platform,’ has also proposed transferring higher education affairs to the Prime Minister’s Office and creating a tentatively named ‘Ministry of Science and Technology Innovation Strategy.’