Reshuffle of Personnel Appointment

President Kim Dae-Jung appointed the former minister of unification Lim Dong-Won as special advisor on diplomacy, national security and unification (level of minister) yesterday.

President Kim also appointed Yoo Seon-Ho, the deputy governor of Gyeonggi Province, to the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, and replaced 5 out of 8 head secretarial staffs.

President Kim appointed Kim Hak-Jae, the deputy justice minister, to the senior secretary for civil affairs, Prof. Cho Young-Dal of Seoul National University’s College of Education to the senior secretary for education and culture, Minister Oh Hong-Keun, head of the Government Information Service (GIS), to his spokesperson, and tentatively appointed Jeung Tae-Il, the head of the Diplomacy and Security Institute, to the senior secretary for foreign policy and national security.

Shin Kwang-Ok, the senior secretary for civil affairs, and Park Joon-Young, the spokesperson, were made deputy minister of justice and head of the GIS, respectively. It was reported that Kim Ha-Jung, former senior secretary for foreign policy and national security, has been put forward as ambassador to China.

Along with this, carrying out the reorganization of the Millennium Democratic Party in accordance with the inauguration of the chairperson Han Kwang-Ok, President Kim appointed Rep. Kim Myong-Sup to the general secretary of the party. Rep. Kang Hyun-Uk, Rep. Kim Sung-Soon and Rep. Shim Jae-Kwon were appointed to the chairperson of the policy making committee, chairperson of the local government committee, and the head of the president secretary, respectively.

However, President Kim turned down the resignation of Lee Sang-Soo floor leader, and had Jeon Yong-Hak spokesperson and Jeong Kyoon-Hwan head of the president assistant remained in their posts. Park Joon-Young, the new head of the GIS, said after announcing the new head of the presidential secretary that ``President Kim appointed those who have expertise and reform-mindset to carry out the reconciliatory and cooperative policy on North without failure and to continue the reform of the government.``

Regarding Nam Gung-Jin, the former head of Political Affairs, Park said that ``he will be soon appointed to another post.``

Yun Seung-Mo ysmo@donga.com