Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok announces newly appointed senior presidential secretaries during a press briefing at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae on May 14. From left: Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok, Jun Byung-hun as senior presidential secretary for political affairs, Ha Seung-chang as senior presidential secretary for social innovation, and Kim Su-hyun as senior presidential secretary for social policies.

By Jeon Han and Sohn JiAe

Photos= Jeon Han

May 14, 2017 | Cheong Wa Dae

On May 14, President Moon Jae-in named three more senior presidential secretaries in charge of political affairs, social innovation, and, lastly, social policies. 

With this announcement, six out of eight senior presidential secretaries have now been named, with two remaining posts -- secretaries for economy and job creation -- yet to be filled. 

Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok announced in a briefing held that day at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae that Jun Byung-hun, a three-term lawmaker and former floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, was appointed senior presidential secretary for political affairs. 

For the newly created position of senior presidential secretary for social innovation, President Moon chose Ha Seung-chang, who had served as vice mayor of political affairs for the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Kim Su-hyun, former Vice Minister of Environment, was appointed senior presidential secretary for social affairs, the chief of staff said. 

The newly appointed senior presidential secretary for political affairs, Jun Byung-hun, speaks at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae on May 14.

Speaking of the new senior presidential secretary for political affairs, Jun Byung-hun, Im said, “He served as a presidential secretary for political affairs and then as a key aide for national affairs in the former Kim Dae-jung government.” “The appointment sends the president’s message that the new government is willing to communicate with the National Assembly."

The chief of staff then noted that the new appointee for social innovation, Ha Seung-chang, would work to communicate and promote dialogue with the public, saying, “Ha will play a key role in creating national unity.” 

The chief of staff called the new senior presidential secretary for social affairs, Kim Su-hyun, “an expert in urban policies and a key figure in politics who had filled in the Roh Mo-hyun Cabinet as a presidential secretary for social policy and for government projects, and as former environment vice minister.”

“Kim is the right person for the post who will fulfill major political agenda on social policy that the new government pursues, such as housing, environment, healthcare, welfare, education and art,” Im said. 

“What I will do as senior presidential for political affairs is to make a ‘creative government,’” said Jun. “We now have a totally different president that we’ve never seen before,” the top aide said. “Only several days into his presidency, President Moon has shown us unprecedented moves that his predecessors hadn’t done, moves that make you feel that the new president tries to shift the paradigm in politics,” the top aide said. 

He then noted that, “The current five-party system, a system dominated by the opposition parties, require not only Cheong Wa Dae, but also all the sides and politicians to have their fair share of responsibilities for running the nation.”

The newly appointed senior presidential secretary for social innovation, Ha Seung-chang, says in a briefing at the Chunchugwan press center at Cheong Wa Dae on May 14, ‘The new secretarial office for social innovation will take over the job carried out by the previous secretarial office for civil affairs and do more than that. That will help contribute to social innovation.’

Former Vice Minister of Environment Kim Su-hyun, appointed as new senior presidential secretary for social affairs, speaks at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae on May 14.

Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok answers questions as journalists surround him, following a press briefing at the Chunchugwan press center of Cheong Wa Dae on May 14.

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