In his first press briefing after Tuesday`s election, President Moon Jae-in (left) nominates Lee Nak-yon (second from left) as the new prime minister and Suh Hoon (third from left) as the head of the National Intelligence Service, at Cheong Wa Dae on May 10. Im Jong-seok (right) has already been officially appointed as the chief of staff.

By Lee Hana

Photos = Jeon Han

President Moon Jae-in took the first steps in forming his new government on Wednesday, announcing his choices for the top posts for the Cabinet, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the presidential secretariat as well as the presidential security service. 

On May 10, the president held his first news conference after Tuesday`s election where he nominated Lee Nak-yon, the governor of Jeollanam-do Province, as the new prime minister and Suh Hoon, a former official at the NIS, to head that organization.

The president appointed former congressman and close aide Im Jong-seok as the chief of staff. Joo Young-hoon, a former official at the presidential security service, was named as head of that organization. 

"Throughout my campaign, I promised to appoint as prime minister a leader who embodies fairness, integration and harmony," said President Moon. "I believe that Lee Nak-yon, my nomination for prime minister, will be able to lead the new administration in that direction. In our current state of transition, it is important that we regain stability in a swift manner with the help of a competent and fully integrated Cabinet. We are in need of a prime minister who has a firm grasp of the inner workings of the Cabinet, the Congress as well as mass media," he said. 

The president then introduced Suh Hoon, his nominee to head the NIS, as "someone who will lead the Korean Peninsula to peace and security by cooperating alongside our diplomats." 

In discussing newly appointed Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok, the president said, "With a young chief of staff at its core, we plan to transform Cheong Wa Dae into a dynamic environment where people can communicate in a frank and candid manner."

Finally, the president described the new head of the presidential security service, Joo Young-hoon, as "a leader who will help to make the security service more intimate and open to change. With his appointment, we look forward to the changes in the system and the organization." 

President Moon Jae-in announces his choices for the top posts in his Cabinet, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the presidential secretariat, and the presidential security service, during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on May 10.

Governor of Jeollanam-do Province Lee Nak-yon, nominated as the new prime minister by the Moon administration, answers questions during a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on May 10.

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