S.Korea's Moon Names His Security Adviser As Candidate To Become New Foreign Minister

SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2021) South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday picked his security adviser Chung Eui-yong as a candidate to serve as a new foreign minister, the presidential palace said.

"President Moon Jae-in today appointed Special Adviser to the President for Foreign Affairs and Security Chung Eui-yong as a candidate for the post of foreign minister ... Chung Eui-yong is a top-level specialist who has dedicated his entire life to the fields of security and diplomacy," presidential spokesman Chung Man-ho said during a briefing.

Chung Eui-yong became Moon's national security adviser in the summer of 2020 and actively took part in negotiations with North Korea and the process of denuclearization.

The presidential spokesman said that Chung Eui-yong will strengthen the Seoul-Washington alliance and "build balanced relations with major countries such as China, Japan and Russia". The spokesman added that the president expects Chung Eui-yong to further engage in the peace process on the Korean peninsula.

In addition, Moon nominated Hwang Hee, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party (DP), as a culture minister and another DP lawmaker Kwon Chil-seung as a minister of small and medium businesses and startups.

All candidates require parliamentary approval but dates for confirmation hearings have not yet been announced.