(clockwise) Minister Lee Suk-joon of the Office of Policy Coordination under Prime Minister, 1st MOSF Vice Minister Choi Sang-mok, 1st MSIP Vice Minister Hong Nam-ki, Joo Young-sub of the Small and Medium Business Administration, 2nd MOTIE Vice Minister Woo Tae-hee, and MOI Vice Minister Kim Sung-ryul. (Photos:MSIP, MOI,MOSF, MOTIE, SMBA)

1st Vice Minister Lee Suk-joon of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) has been appointed to be minister of the Office of Government Policy Coordination (OPC) under Prime Minister. 

President Park Geun-hye carried out a reshuffle of vice ministers on Jan. 15, Cheong Wa Dae said. The personnel change followed the appointment of five new ministers, including New Minister Yoo Il-ho of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) on Jan. 13. 

MSIP Vice Minister Lee, who once worked at the MOSF, replaces Minister Chu Kyung-ho of the OPC, who resigned to run for the upcoming general elections. Lee, who passed the 26th higher administration officials’ examination, held such positions as the standing commissioner of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the chief of the Budget Office at the MOSF and 2nd MOSF vice minister. 

Lee was one of the ranking officials who spearheaded the creative economy the Park Geun-hye government has promoted. He was the architect of 17 Centers for Creative Economy and Innovation, which were established around the country to promote the creative economy. Lee’s appointment as minister of the OPC, may be construed as his undertaking of a new mission to complete state tasks related to the creative economy as planned smoothly, Cheong Wa Dae officials said. Lee gained trust from President Park, who expressed hope at a New Year’s gathering that Lee will have the same success this year as he had last year when he pushed state policies related to the creative economy, a presidential official said. 

The final list of candidates for the minister of the OPC included Lee and officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), but Lee from MOSF was chosen over the MOTIE contender as the more sufficient person to take responsibilities in coordinating government policies. Lee was thought to have the upper hand to serve as the OPC minister since he had a career as the MOSF second vice minister charged with budgetary affairs. 

President Park appointed Choi Sang-mok, Cheong Wa Dae secretary for economy and financing, and Hong Nam-ki, Cheong Wa Dae secretary for planning to be the 1st MOSF vice minister and 1st MSIP vice minister, respectively. 

MOTIE Deputy Minister for Trade Woo Tae-hee and Kim Sung-ryul, head of the Office of Local Administration at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) were tapped as the second MOTIE vice minister and MOI vice minister, respectively. Woo is considered as a trade commerce expert as he held such positions as the deputy minister in charge of trade negotiations and director general in charge of industry technology.

MOSF Deputy Vice Minister Chung Eun-bo was appointed to be the FSC vice chairman, while Joo Young-sup, visiting professor at the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, was named as the administrator of the Small and Medium Business Administration.