S.Korean president Roh names new North Korea point man
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-01-02 17:11

South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun on Monday named a key security adviser as his point man on negotiating with North Korea in a Cabinet reshuffle affecting four ministers, his office said.

Lee Jong-Seok, deputy head of the National Security Council (NSC), replaces Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young, who resigned last week to prepare for his presidential bid, it said in a statement.

The Cabinet shakeup also named replacements for the ministers of science and technology, labour, and commerce, industry and energy, it said.

Former presidential chief of staff Kim Woo-Shik was picked as new science and technology minister, ruling Uri Party chief Chung Sye-Kyun was named as new commerce, industry and energy minister and a former ruling party lawmaker Lee Sang-Soo was appointed as new labour minister.

Lee, the new unification minister, has been serving since 2003 as deputy chief of the NSC in charge of setting policy on security, North Korea and foreign affairs.

The NSC is officially headed by the president but the unification minister usually presides over its meetings as standing chairman.

President Roh has yet to decide on a replacement of Health and Welfare Minister Kim Geun-Tae, who also tendered his resignation last week in a bid to run for the presidency, the statement said.

The ruling Uri Party elects a new leadership in February to field a candidate for the presidential election in late 2007.

Roh's term in office is to end in early 2008.