By Lee Hana

President Moon Jae-in named five candidates to head the Education, Justice, National Defense, Environment, and Employment & Labor ministries this Sunday. He also announced the appointment of four new vice ministers.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Soo-hyun told reporters in a press briefing on June 11 that Kim Sang-kon, a former superintendent of education for Gyeonggi-do Province, had been tapped as the minister of education; Ahn Kyong-whan, a Seoul National University professor, as the minister of justice; Song Young-moo, a Konyang University chair, as the minister of national defense; Kim Eunkyung, head of the Sustainability Center Jiwoo, as minister of environment; and, finally, Cho Dae-yop, director of the Korea University Graduate School of Labor Studies, as the minister of employment & labor.

"We expect Kim Sang-kon, the nominee for education minister, to successfully spearhead a number of education reforms, from providing equal education opportunities to enforcing fair practices on college entrance examinations, and reconfiguring our public education system," said Park.

"Ahn Kyong-whan, the nominee for justice minister, is someone who will maintain impartiality of the prosecution office, while strengthening its independence and carrying out a number of reforms. Defense minister nominee Song Young-moo, meanwhile, has the credentials to strengthen our responsiveness against Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile threats, and pave the way for ground, naval and air forces that are not only stronger but more balanced, " added Park.

Introducing Kim Eunkyung, the nominee for environment minister, Park said that the administration expects that she will "safeguard the people's right to life by confronting issues like climate change, and reduction of particulate matter, and restore the ecosystem by consolidating water management and the re-naturalization of Korea's four major rivers."

"Finally, Cho Dae-yop, the nominee for labor minister, is the candidate who will create more jobs by negotiating labor management and civil affairs, while reducing working hours and the number of temporary workers. We expect him to carry out the task of enforcing basic labor rights," said Park.

Following these nominations, the presidential office announced the appointment of Han Sung-hee, head of the Seoul regional tax office, as the head of the National Tax Service (NTS); Ahn Byung-ok, head of the Institute for Climate Change Action, as vice minister of environment; Yi Sung-ki, a professor at the Korea University of Technology and Education, as vice minister of labor; and, Cho Kwang, professor emeritus at Korea University, as head of the National Institute of Korean History (NIKH).

hlee10@korea.kr