Outline of Mr. Roh’s Plan for Appointment of Senior Presidential Aides

As President-elect Roh Moo-hyun is expected to nominate Goh Kun, a former prime minister and mayor of Seoul, as his first prime minister, the reshaping of the government has started in earnest.

Sooner or later, the President-elect is expected to decide the plan on reorganization of the Office of the President and announce the result of who will be appointed for major posts in this office, including senior presidential aides for policy planning and civil affairs and his spokesman.

Then, from late this month to the middle of next month, he will finish the appointment for the heads of the National Intelligence Service and the National Police Agency and the National Tax Service. But for the nation’s intelligence chief post, the selection could be done after his inauguration on Feb. 25. Mr. Roh will select the intelligence chief after fully figuring out his job because of the current North Korea nuclear crisis.

The selection of Cabinet members is likely to be in full swing after the acceptance of public recommendations ends on the 25th. Mr. Roh ordered his transition team to form a personnel recommendation committee, which will work through the incumbent government’s personnel record and recommendations from the public. According to his plan, the forming of a new cabinet will be completed before his February 25 inauguration.

Han I-heon, former senior presidential aide for economic affairs, is under consideration as the new deputy prime minister for finance and economy.

For the national top intelligence chief post, the incumbent head of the National Intelligence, Shin Gun, is reportedly expected to stay in office. With respect to the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, whose 2-year term of office is guaranteed under the law, the President-elect said that he would honor the term of office stated in law. So, the possibility of replacing the incumbent chief prosecutor, Kim Kak-young looks very slim. However, a considerable number of people in Mr. Roh’s camp are asserting a need of appointment of fresh figures.

When it comes to the Office of the President, the existing senior aides for economy, welfare and labor, and education and culture will be abolished. As senior aide for policy planning, whose post will newly be made, Kim Byung-jun, the transition team’s committee director for state affairs, and vice chairman of the transition team Kim Jin-pyo are strong candidates.

In addition, lawyer Mun Jae-in as senior aide for personnel affairs, whose post will newly be established, and Lee Byung-wan, the transition team director of the planning and coordination committee, as senior aide for public information affairs are being considered.

The President-elect is scheduled to visit the headquarters of the three major parties, the ruling Millennium Democratic Party, the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) and the United Liberal Democrats, in order to inform them of his selection of Goh Kun as his first prime minister and ask for cooperation in his confirmation hearing.

"Goh Kun has never been under scrutiny of the National Assembly in public. Though former prime minister-designates such as Jang Sang and Jang Dae-whan were respected people before they stood before the Assembly for approval, they failed to pass the test. We will let Mr. Goh go through harsh examination process this time," said GNP floor leader Lee Q-taek.

Jeong-Hun Kim Hyung-gwon Pu jnghn@donga.com bookum90@donga.com