[Dec 4 Cabinet Reshuffle] Yoon Appoints New Ministers for 6 Ministries Including Ministry of Economy and Finance (Update)

Minister Choi Sangmok for Economy, Kang Jeongae for Veterans Affairs, Song Miryeong for Agriculture
Park Sangwoo for Land, Kang Dohyeong for Oceans and Fisheries, Oh Youngju for SMEs

On the 4th, President Yoon Suk-yeol reshuffled six ministerial positions, including nominating Choi Sang-mok, the senior economic secretary of the Presidential Office, as the candidate for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance.

Kim Dae-gi, Chief of Staff to the President, announced the appointments for candidates of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Ministry of SMEs and Startups at the Yongsan Presidential Office that afternoon.

Regarding candidate Choi Sang-mok, Chief of Staff Kim said, "The candidate is a traditional economic bureaucrat who served as the Presidential Office’s Economic and Financial Secretary and as the First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, possessing profound knowledge and insight into the overall economy including macro-finance, making him a top expert." He added, "We expect him to take care of pressing economic and livelihood issues such as inflation and employment while fundamentally improving the structure of our economy."

President Yoon also nominated ▲ Kang Jeong-ae, former president of Sookmyung Women’s University, as candidate for Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs ▲ Song Mi-ryeong, former deputy director of the Korea Rural Economic Institute, as candidate for Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs ▲ Park Sang-woo, former president of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), as candidate for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ▲ Kang Do-hyung, director of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, as candidate for Minister of Oceans and Fisheries ▲ and Oh Young-joo, second vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups.

President Yoon Suk-yeol reshuffled six ministers on the 4th, appointing Choi Sang-mok, former senior presidential secretary for economic affairs (photo top row, left), as the candidate for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance.
President Yoon also nominated Kang Jeong-ae, former president of Sookmyung Women's University, as the candidate for Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (photo top row, second from left); Song Mi-ryeong, former senior research fellow at the Korea Rural Economic Institute, as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Park Sang-woo, former president of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (photo bottom row, left), as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Kang Do-hyung, president of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries; and Oh Young-joo, second vice foreign minister, as candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding candidate Kang Jeong-ae, Chief of Staff Kim explained, "She is a renowned female management scholar with extensive experience and strong trust as a senior figure." He added, "She is the daughter of a Korean War veteran and the granddaughter-in-law of an independence activist, and has always had a special interest and insight into veterans affairs." Regarding candidate Song Mi-ryeong, he introduced her as "a representative expert in balanced development between urban and rural areas, currently serving as a member of the Presidential Committee on Rural Areas under the direct control of the President, participating in the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s agricultural policy. We expect her to contribute with her long-accumulated research and field experience."

He also evaluated candidate Park Sang-woo as "a traditional bureaucrat in the field of land and transport who served as director of the Housing and Land Office and director of the Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport." He added, "He is the right person to strengthen public housing safety and lead mobility innovation with his abundant policy and field experience." Regarding candidate Kang Do-hyung, he said, "The candidate, born in 1970, is the youngest among the ministerial candidates this time. He has built research achievements in the field of marine resources, was appointed in a groundbreaking manner as director of the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, and has been well-reviewed for his smooth organizational management since then. We expect him to swiftly advance policy issues such as strengthening seafood safety management and enhancing fishing village policies based on his expertise and leadership in the marine sector."

Regarding Oh Young-joo, the current second vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups, he said, "The candidate has actively supported the overseas expansion of our small and medium-sized venture companies while serving as director of the Development Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassador to Vietnam, and second vice minister overseeing economic diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." He added, "We expect him to lead the pioneering of new markets and globalization of small and medium-sized venture companies with his many years of experience and know-how accumulated in the fields of economy and diplomacy."