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S.Korean president Roh names new North Korea point man
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-01-02 17:11
South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun on Monday named a key security adviser as
his point man on negotiating with North Korea in a Cabinet reshuffle affecting
four ministers, his office said.
Lee Jong-Seok, deputy head of the National Security Council (NSC), replaces
Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young, who resigned last week to prepare for his
presidential bid, it said in a statement.
The Cabinet shakeup also named replacements for the ministers of science and
technology, labour, and commerce, industry and energy, it said.
Former presidential chief of staff Kim Woo-Shik was picked as new science and
technology minister, ruling Uri Party chief Chung Sye-Kyun was named as new
commerce, industry and energy minister and a former ruling party lawmaker Lee
Sang-Soo was appointed as new labour minister.
Lee, the new unification minister, has been serving since 2003 as deputy
chief of the NSC in charge of setting policy on security, North Korea and
foreign affairs.
The NSC is officially headed by the president but the unification minister
usually presides over its meetings as standing chairman.
President Roh has yet to decide on a replacement of Health and Welfare
Minister Kim Geun-Tae, who also tendered his resignation last week in a bid to
run for the presidency, the statement said.
The ruling Uri Party elects a new leadership in February to field a candidate
for the presidential election in late 2007.
Roh's term in office is to end in early 2008.
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