Reshuffle affects 14 portfolios: Shin Kuhn named new NIS director

NIS
Chief
Shin Kuhn

MOCT
Oh Jang-Seop

MOMAF
Chung Woo-Taik

MOFAT
Han Seung-Soo

MOGAHA
Lee Keun-Shik

MOST
Kim Young-Hwan

MND
Kim Dong-Shin

MOCIE
Chang Che-Shik

MIC
Yang Seung-Taik

Unification
Lim Dong-Won

Welfare
Labor
Lee Tae-Bog

Policy
Planning
Park Jie-Won

President Kim Dae-Jung on Monday morning replaced Unification Minister Park Jae-Kyu with National Intelligence Service (NIS) director Lim Dong-Won as part of a sweeping cabinet reshuffle involving 14 portfolios.

Ex-Army Chief of Staff Kim Dong-Shin was named to succeed Cho Seong-Tae as defense minister and Shin Kuhn, former deputy director of the nation`s spy agency, was named to its top post.

Rep. Han Seung-Soo of the opposition Democratic People`s Party was appointed as new foreign affairs and trade minister, replacing Lee Joung-Binn who tendered his resignation over the inadvertent disclosure of diplomatic secrets involving President Kim`s summit talks.

Three lawmakers from the United Liberal Democrats (ULD), coalition partner of Kim`s Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), were named to lead the ministries of Commerce, Industry and Energy (replacing Chang Che-Shik), Construction and Transportation (Oh Jang-Seop) and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (Chung Woo-Taik).

Lee Keun-Shik, former vice minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs, was appointed minister of Government Administration and Home affairs, MDP spokesman Kim Young-Hwan became minister of Science and Technology and Korea Information-Communication Graduate School dean Yang Seung-Taik was named minister of Information and Communication.

MDP lawmaker Kim Deok-Bae was appointed chairman of the Special Commission on Small and Medium-size Industries, while Na Seung-Po, president of the Central Public Officials Training Institute, was named chief policy coordinator for the prime minister.

Other changes included ex-Culture and Tourism Minister Park Jie-Won`s naming as the replacement for Kim Seong-Jae as senior presidential secretary for policy and planning and the appointment of Lee Tae-Bog, publisher of the Nodong Ilbo newspaper, as the successor to Choi Kyu-Hak as senior presidential secretary for welfare and labor.

Presidential spokesman Park Joon-Young said President Kim based his choices on the appointees` competence and reform-mindedness while bearing in mind public sentiment and the need for fair distribution among differing generations and regions.

The new cabinet is expected to pursue various restructuring tasks, while refreshing and reinforcing effective administration of state affairs, he said. He added that the spirit of collaboration within the coalition was fully reflected in the cabinet shakeup.

Summary:

Unification-- Lim Dong-Won; Foreign Affairs and Trade-- Han Seung-Soo; Defense-- Kim Dong-Shin; Government Administration and Home Affairs—Lee Keun-Shik; Science and technology-- Kim Young-Hwan; Commerce, Industry and Energy-- Chang Che-Shik; Information and Communication-- Yang Seung-Taik; Construction and Transportation-- Oh Jang-Seop; Maritime Affairs and Fisheries--Chung Woo-Taik; National Intelligence Service-- Shin Kuhn; Commission on Small Industries-- Kim Deok-Bae; Chief Policy Coordinator for the Prime Minister-- Na Seung-Po; Senior Presidential Secretary for Policy and Planning-- Park Jie-Won; Senior Presidential Secretary for Welfare and Labor-- Lee Tae-Bog.

Yun Seung-Mo ysmo@donga.com