President Roh Moo-hyun on Wednesday carried out a reshuffle of his administration's foreign and security policy team, nominating his chief security secretary Song Min-soon as the new foreign minister, Roh's office Cheong Wa Dae said.
The president also tapped Lee Jae-joung, former lawmaker of the ruling Uri Party, as unification minister and Army Chief of Staff Kim Jang-soo as his new defense minister, said the office.
In addition, Roh promoted Kim Man-bok, first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, to the top post of the agency, it said.
Regarding who will succeed Song as the top presidential advisor on security policy, the office said Song's successor would be named in late November.
"Song will concentrate on his Cheong Wa Dae post for the time being to prepare for the upcoming APEC summit. His successor will be appointed after the conclusion of the summit in late November," said Park Nam-choon, senior presidential secretary for personnel affairs.
The 58-year-old Song, who served previously as South Korea's top negotiator at the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear problem, is known for having mapped out the nation's key security and foreign policies. Song is credited for his outstanding expertise in foreign and security policy and abundant experience in diplomatic negotiations, Park said.
Lee, 62, formerly served as president of Sungkonghoe University, a Seoul-based seminary, and now holds the title of senior vice chairman of the National Unification Advisory Council. Lee is known to follow outgoing Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok's North Korea policies.
Kim Man-bok, who will replace Kim Seung-kyu as the new chief of the NIS, has served at various NIS posts over the past 30 years.
The new defense minister has wide experience in military reforms and is expected to exert his outstanding expertise in resolving a number of pending military issues, like the takeover of South Korea's wartime command of its troops from the U.S. and the North Korean nuclear crisis, Park said.
Seoul, Nov. 1 (Yonhap News)
Roh's security advisor, Song Min-soon, named as new foreign minister |
