Presidential Office Reshuffle along with Song Kyoung-hee Dismissal

President Roh Moo-hyun fired his spokeswoman Song Kyoung-hee Wednesday after a string of errors while briefing reporters. Roh promoted Yoon Tae-young, 42, from Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Information to that of Song`s post.

The President reorganized the structure of the presidential offices by creating new presidential offices by combining existing ones and introduced a system in which each presidential office works together for more efficient operation.

As a result, the president`s offices will be composed of five senior presidential secretaries, six presidential aides, and six teams with 38 secretaries, eliminating one secretarial post.

The first and second civil society offices in the senior secretary to the president for political affairs office were combined into one office, the civil society secretarial office headed by Jang Joon-young; the first and second secretarial offices for domestic media in the senior secretary to the president for public information were integrated into one secretarial office for domestic media led by Kim Hyun-mi; the secretarial offices for foreign media and foreign media spokesmen were changed into the secretarial office for foreign media headed by Lee Ji-hyun; secretarial offices dealing with public information and presidential speeches were combined into one secretarial office for public information.

Song Chi-bok, who created the TV ad entitled `Roh Moo-hyun`s tears` during last year`s presidential election, was named to head the newly established presidential office for media and public information. Kim Young-man, who is now serving as secretary of the second civil society office, was appointed to assume another newly established secretarial post dealing with personnel management.

Secretary for domestic policy planning Shin Bong-ho was moved to the secretarial office for policy planning and coordination and Cho Kwang-han was appointed vice spokesman, at the same time serving at the current secretarial post for public relations and planning.

Former presidential spokeswoman Song Kyoung-hee and secretary for domestic affairs and public information Park Jong-moon will work as staff members in the presidential general affairs office for the time being and later will be named to more appropriate positions.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com