Ex-official named Lee’s top aide for economic affairs

President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday named former chief of Statistics Korea Kim Dae-ki as his new top aide for economic affairs.

Kim will succeed Choi Joong-kyung, who was appointed minister of knowledge economy last week.

Having been in charge of financial management at the Ministry of Budget and Planning, which was later merged into the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Kim became the chief of Statistics Korea in March 2008.

He then served as second vice minister of culture, sports and tourism from April 2009 through August last year.

Kim is now a visiting professor at Seoul National University’s graduate school of public administration.

Born in Seoul in 1956, Kim majored in economics at SNU.

“As an expert of budget and planning with extensive professional experience, (Kim) is expected to be fully capable of setting economic policy directions and coordinating between ministries,” Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.

Also on Tuesday, Lee promoted Lee Jin-kyu, deputy secretary to the president for executive planning and management, to secretary.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)