President Lee Myung-bak appointed a three-term lawmaker and current labor minister as his new chief of staff Thursday prior to replacing several other senior secretaries and reshuffling the Cabinet, Yonhap reported.
"President Lee Myung-bak has named Employment and Labor Minister Yim Tae-hee as new presidential chief of staff," Lee Dong-kwan, senior secretary for public affairs, announced.
Yim replaces Chung Chung-kil, who offered to resign to take responsibility for the party's surprise defeat in the June 2 local elections that were widely viewed as a mid-term referendum on the president's performance.
The appointee gave emphasis to healing political rifts, saying he will play a bridging role between the president and the people.
"As the chief of presidential staff, I will play a role to reflect the public's opinions in state affairs," Yim told reporters after Cheong Wa Dae's announcement.
"As a person who took part in the launch of the current government, I believe I have to take on infinite responsbility," Yim said of the reason why he accepted the post, apparently at the expense of not only the ministerial job but also his parliamentary seat he is expected to give up in accordance with political customs. He was referring to his career as the chief secretary to Lee during his presidential campaign and when he was a president-elect.
One of the main reasons for political conflicts is that the people do not yet feel the direct effects of a speedy economic recovery, he said, adding he would resolve problems by improving communications between Cheong Wa Dae and the political circles.
Cheong Wa Dae also held out expectations for his role for national unity.
"Ideologically, Yim tends to be more centrist and has smooth ties with the government and the National Assembly," Lee Dong-kwan, the senior secretary for public affairs, said. "He is expected to assist the president through dialogue and with his ability to coordinate matters effectively."
Lee also pointed out that the appointee, born in Gyeonggi Province near Seoul, has worked to ease regionalism, especially between the southwestern province of Jeolla and the southeastern province of Gyeongsang.
Yim has exerted a lot of effort for "national integration and the advancement of politics," Lee said.
The appointment, which comes ahead of the replacement of several other top presidential staff and a Cabinet shake-up, reflects the president's efforts to turn the table on his troubled leadership following the GNP's election debacle.
The National Assembly also voted down his ambitious project to create a business-education hub in the central province of Chungcheong in lieu of an originally planned administrative town. Lee's other centerpiece project, cleaning and refurbishing the country's four major rivers, also has faced heavy backlash.
Lee, who begins the second half of his single five-year tenure next month, has hinted at sweeping changes of presidential staff and Cabinet members. Cheong Wa Dae officials said the president is looking for "young figures," especially those in their late 40s or early 50s.
Yim, 53, is young compared to former presidential chiefs of staff, including his immediate predecessor Chung.
"The pick of the young presidential chief of staff in his 50s reflects the voices of change which the people want," the senior secretary said.
Yim is known for his expertise in finance and political affairs. He studied business administration at Seoul National University and worked at the finance ministry for two decades before making the switch to politics. He was elected lawmaker for the first time in 2000 and served as spokesman for the GNP and its chief policy coordinator. He has been serving as labor minister since September 2009.
He reportedly held a secret meeting with Kim Yang-gon, North Korea's point of contact for the South, in Singapore late last year in an unsuccessful attempt to arrange an inter-Korean summit.
The new line-up of senior secretaries to the presidential office is expected to be announced as early as Sunday. The Cabinet shake-up will likely take place around the July 28 by-elections for eight parliamentary seats.
Lee reorganized his office on Wednesday, creating the post for a senior secretary for social integration tasked with improving communication with the people. He also established the post of a senior officer for national future whose job is to draw up long-term strategies for South Korea's development in various fields, including science and green growth.