Justice Minister Nominee Announced: A 'Surprise Pick' Defying Expectations

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Here is our next story. Lee Yong-cheol, the current head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, has been nominated to fill the post of Minister of Justice, which has remained vacant for more than two months. It was truly a surprise appointment that defied expectations.

Reporter Park Chan-beom will first report on today's (November 6) Cheong Wa Dae personnel announcement.

[Reporter]

Lee Yong-cheol, the current head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, has been nominated as the new Minister of Justice, a position left vacant following the withdrawal of Representative Kim Seung-won.

Democratic Party Representatives Park Gyun-taek and Yang Bu-nam, both former prosecutors, were widely rumored as contenders, but President Lee played a surprise card instead.

The nominee is a former member of Lawyers for a Democratic Society and served as second presidential secretary for civil affairs and secretary for legal affairs during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.

He has had a long-standing relationship with President Lee, having served on his transition committee when Lee was elected mayor of Seongnam.

Cheong Wa Dae explained that, with his extensive administrative experience, he is the expert best suited to swiftly establish and stabilize the new criminal justice system.

Suspicions were raised regarding his alleged involvement in the Daejang-dong development preferential corruption scandal during his appointment as defense acquisition chief as well, but Cheong Wa Dae indicated there was no problem.

[Lim Gwang-hyeon / Presidential Chief of Staff: "This was taken into account during the vetting process, and we expect him to clarify further details himself at the confirmation hearing."]

Choi In-ho, president of the Korea Housing & Urban Guarantee Corporation and a former two-term lawmaker representing Busan, was appointed to succeed Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ihk-pyo, who tendered his resignation.

An original pro-Roh and pro-Moon figure, he also served as chief spokesperson under party leader Lee Nak-yon.

As the post is responsible for communication between the ruling party and the presidential office, the appointment is interpreted as taking current factional conflicts within the Democratic Party into consideration.

Ahn Deok-soo, the current head of the Seoul Regional National Tax Service, was nominated as the new commissioner of the National Tax Service, while Kim Jong-cheol, deputy commissioner of the National Police Agency, was nominated as commissioner of the National Police Agency, a position that had been vacant for nearly two years following the emergency martial law declaration.

(Video by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing by Lee Seung-hee | Design by Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.