Moon Sunsook Appointed as 1st Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; Lim Gigeun as 2nd Vice Minister of Economy and Finance
Park Yoonju Confirmed as 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; Additional Appointments Under Discussion
Wi Seongrak, Hwang Ingwon, and Others Join the Presidential Office
Growing Expectations for Stronger Links Between Local Regions and the Central Government
With the inauguration of President Lee Jaemyung, individuals from the Honam region are steadily joining key ministries and the Presidential Office. There is growing anticipation that the link between the central government and local regions will become even stronger compared to the previous administration.
According to local political circles on June 11, the Presidential Office is currently in the final stages of recommending and vetting candidates for ministerial and vice-ministerial positions. In particular, the selection of individuals from Honam stands out.
On this day, Sunsook Moon (Haenam, Chosun University High School), spokesperson of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, was appointed as the 1st Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; Gi Geun Lim (Haenam, Songwon High School), Administrator of the Public Procurement Service, was appointed as the 2nd Vice Minister of Economy and Finance; and Yoonju Park (Boseong), Minister at the Mission to ASEAN, was appointed as the 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Sunsook Moon, the newly appointed vice minister, has been recognized for her competence through various key positions in the industrial and energy sectors. In particular, she made her mark by leading the nuclear phase-out policy as Director of Nuclear Power Industry Policy during the Moon Jaein administration.
Gi Geun Lim, the 2nd Vice Minister, is known internally as an expert in budget affairs. He entered public service through the 36th administrative examination and has held major positions such as Director of Welfare Budget, Director of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Budget, Director General for Policy Coordination, Director General for Economic Budget Review, and Director General for Budget Coordination at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Furthermore, he was recognized for his expertise in finance and budgeting by serving as the Grade 1 Financial Management Officer, overseeing fiscal policy and execution.
Yoonju Park, the newly appointed vice minister, was born in 1970. After graduating from the Department of International Relations at Seoul National University, he earned a master's degree in International Trade and Investment from George Washington University in the United States. He passed the 29th Foreign Service Examination in 1995 and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Park has mainly handled U.S.-related affairs at the ministry, establishing himself as a U.S. affairs expert.
Those selected this time have long been recognized for their competence and require no further verification regarding their work abilities. This is seen as being in line with President Lee's personnel philosophy, which emphasizes merit-based appointments.
Separately, it is reported that verification processes have begun for the placement of Honam personnel in key bureaus and divisions of each ministry.
Previously, individuals from Honam such as Seongrak Wi (Jangheung), Chief of the National Security Office; Ingwon Hwang (Boseong), Chief of Presidential Security; and Yongbeom Kim (Muan), Chief Policy Officer, have been appointed to key positions in the Presidential Office, indicating that the inclusion of regional figures is expanding more than ever.
A local political official stated, "President Lee Jaemyung's core belief is pragmatism, prioritizing competence, so personnel verification will not be based on region, academic background, or family ties, more so than any previous administration," and added, "During the Yoon Sukyeol administration, the sense of Honam being marginalized was widespread in the region, but there are expectations that this will be resolved."
As more regional figures are appointed to the new government's cabinet and Presidential Office, Gwangju City and South Jeolla Province are also moving quickly. They are focusing on developing strategies to strengthen communication channels for addressing major local issues.
In fact, South Jeolla Province has continued its swift actions by recruiting Kang Wiwon, who is known as a close associate of President Lee Jaemyung, as Vice Governor for Political Affairs. Kang previously served as Head of the Honam Special Advisory Group for the Democratic Party's 21st Presidential Election Campaign Committee and as Standing Advisor to the Democratic Party National Innovation Council.
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