Ex-Pres. Adviser Kwak Returns to Administration

President Lee Myung-bak has nominated former senior presidential secretary for state affairs planning Kwak Seung-jun (photo) to head a presidential commission on state planning, sources said Sunday.

The post has been vacant since Ahn Byong-man was appointed education minister.

“President Lee recently told former senior presidential secretary Kwak about his nomination in person,” a presidential source said. “I think Kwak will be handling long-term projects, such as discovering new engines for economic growth, reforming the public sector and easing regulations.”

Kwak had taken the lead in designing President Lee’s major policies before last year’s presidential election. His return to the presidential office is expected to revive the administration’s public reform drive, which had been suspended due to protests against American beef imports.

“Some say that the incumbent administration will get careless on important national agenda, such as the overhaul of public corporations, but this is not true as the administration will continue to push its economy policy without fail,” President Lee was quoted as saying.

Kwak had spearheaded reform of public corporations as senior presidential secretary for social affairs. He resigned under pressure June 20 in a reshuffle of all senior presidential secretaries over the U.S. beef scare.

ddr@donga.com