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By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak has named Maeng Hyung-kyu, special presidential advisor on political affairs, as minister of public administration and security, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday.
Maeng, 64, a former three-term lawmaker of the governing Grand National Party, if confirmed by the National Assembly, will replace Lee Dal-gon, who resigned a month ago as the minister to run for the governorship of South Gyeongsang Province in the June 2 local elections.
Choi Joong-kyung, 54, Korea's ambassador to the Philippines, was appointed as senior presidential secretary for economic affairs.
A native of Seoul, Maeng served as the GNP's chief policymaker before being appointed as the presidential advisor last September.
One of his key tasks is to strengthen communication between local and central governments over President Lee's plan to redraw administrative and electoral districts and activate regional development projects for balanced national growth, said the presidential office.
Choi, a former vice minister of strategy and finance, will play a crucial role in forming Lee's macroeconomic policies in close collaboration with G-20 member countries, the office said. Seoul hosts the fourth G-20 summit in November.
Noh Yeon-hong, presidential secretary for health and welfare affairs, was tapped the new president of the Korea Food and Drug Administration. He was born in Incheon in 1955.
Yoon Sang-jik, a veteran economist from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, was named as presidential secretary for knowledge economy.
jj@koreatimes.co.kr
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