President Yoon Suk-yeol will appoint Byeon Yang-kyoon, a well-known former economic technocrat who served as budget and planning minister, as an outside economic adviser Friday, his office said.

Byeon, 72, served as chief policymaker in the presidential office of former President Roh Moo-hyun from 2006 to 2007 after spending decades working at the finance ministry and serving as budget and planning minister from 2005-06.

"Many people recommended him," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work.

Byeon is "someone who has long advocated a policy fit for the industrial structure of the fourth industrial revolution from a perspective of innovation and supply," he said.

Doorstepping with the president had been suspended this week due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the press corps. On Friday, it appeared to have resumed as normal, as no additional infections were reported for days. (Yonhap)