Moon Jae-in names key secretariat members
Liberal law professor Cho Kuk named legal affairs chief
By Park Ju-youngPublished : May 11, 2017 - 09:36
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday announced three senior presidential secretaries to lead his secretariat, naming a liberal law professor as legal advisor, his election camp’s online publicist as public affairs chief and a leadership expert as personnel chief.
Cho Kuk, professor at Seoul National University’s law school, was picked as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, a post in charge of the president’s legal affairs, newly appointed Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok said in a briefing.
The liberal law professor is known for his active participation in politics as well as his acute remarks against the conservative government’s wrongdoings.
“Cho is a reformist who believes in the rule of law and is thus the right person to support the president‘s determination to reform the prosecution,” the chief of staff said.
He is also expected to work in good partnership with President Moon who, too, used to be a law student and a human rights lawyer in the past, he added.
As senior presidential secretary for public relations, President Moon named Yoon Young-chan, former executive vice president of Naver who served as SNS campaigning chief in Moon’s election camp.
“As a former political journalist and media-friendly figure with good judgment on state affairs, Yoon will be the right advisor for a president who considers the media as a companion in state affairs and channel of public communication,” Im said.
The chief of staff also underlined that the new media chief will establish a two-way communication between the president and the public, thus marking Moon‘s secretariat from that of the former President Park Geun-hye.
Cho Hyun-ock, professor at Ewha Women’s University and former family policy chief at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will take the post as senior presidential secretary for personnel affairs, becoming the first female official in the position.
“Based on her experience of breaking the glass ceiling, Cho will lead a fair and balanced personnel system (in the Blue House) and set a model example for public companies to follow.”
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)