Resident Moon Jae-in Replaces 16 Vice Ministers Ahead Of His Third Year In Office

President Moon Jae-in on Friday named 16 new vice ministers including two vice finance chiefs in a sweeping reshuffle of senior government officials ahead of his third year in office next year.

SEOUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Dec, 2018 ) :President Moon Jae-in on Friday named 16 new vice ministers including two vice finance chiefs in a sweeping reshuffle of senior government officials ahead of his third year in office next year.

Moon nominated Lee Ho-seung, a presidential aide on jobs, as the first vice finance minister, replacing incumbent Koh Hyeong-gwon, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

Koo Yun-cheol, chief of the budget office at the finance ministry, was named the second vice minister, replacing Kim Yong-jin, it added.

He also designated Kim Yong-sam, a ranking official at the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation as the first vice culture and sports minister and Mun Mi-ock, a presidential aide on science and technology, as the first vice science minister.

The shakeup is being seen as Moon's willingness to take a firmer hold on state affairs as he moves toward his third year in office. Moon took office in May last year for a five-year term.

The replacement of vice finance ministers appears to reflect Moon's efforts to better cope with the economic slowdown and boost the tepid job market.

"Vice finance minister Lee is well versed on macroeconomics. We expect him to contribute to reviving the economic momentum based on his understanding of Moon's policy goals and his field experience," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a press briefing.

Last month, Moon sacked finance minister Kim Dong-yeon and Jang Ha-sung, his chief policy adviser, amid discord over how to handle the slowing economy.

They showed differences over whether to adjust the pace of the government's push for Moon's signature economic policy or the income-driven growth policy, amid sluggish a job market.

President Moon named Hong Nam-ki, a senior official at the prime minister's office, as the finance minister and his senior social affairs secretary, Kim Soo-hyun, to succeed Jang.