Completion of Selecting 16 Members of Government Transition Committee

President-elect Roh Moo-hyun on Dec. 27 named 16 members of the government transition committee, including his selection of Sung Kyung-leung, professor of Hallym University, as a member of the subcommittee on policy planning and coordination.

The President-elect is expected to officially begin government transition work on Dec. 30 by presiding over a first meeting of the committee after a ceremony of appointments for 25 members of the transition team, including Chairman Lim Chae-jung and Vice Chairman Kim Jin-pyo and a hanging board ceremony to signal the full operation of the takeover team.

Yoon Sung-sik, professor of Korea University, Lee Yeun-young, professor of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Park Bum-gye, a lawyer were named to fill the subcommittee on domestic affairs. And Shu Dong-man, professor of Sangji University, Lee Jong-suk, researcher at the Sejong Institute, and Shu Joo-suk, researcher at Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, were appointed as members of the subcommittee on foreign affairs, unification and security.

Meanwhile, Roh named Hu Sung-kwan, professor of Donga University, Lee Dong-gul, researcher at Korea Institute of Finance, and Jung Tae-in, researcher at Korea Institute of Social Science to fill the 1st subcommittee on economy (dealing with finance) and Park Jun-kung, researcher at Korean Development Institute, Park Ki-young, professor of Sunchon National University, and Jung Myung-chae, deputy director of Korea Rural Economic Institute as members of the 2nd economic sub-panel(dealing with industry, agriculture and forestry, and labor).

Kim Young-dae, secretary-general of the National Reform Party, Jung young-ae, chief women’s policymaker at the Province of Chungcheongbukdo, and Park Boo-kwon, professor of Dongkuk University, were named to fill the subcommittee on society, culture and women.

Park Jong-moon, press secretary of the President-elect, was appointed as deputy director of the Center for Citizens’ Participation, and Jung Man-ho, director of policy planning panel in the MDP’s election committee, was selected as chief of administrative affairs.

Concerning the President-elect’s selection of government transition committee members mainly from academics, Lim Chae-jung, Chairman of the committee, said, “Most of the appointed committee members worked as policy advisors to the President-elect before and are considered to share views on Roh’s reformist agenda and philosophy, given the fact that academics are very keen to play a leading role in a new era of reforms and changes.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com