FTC chief named top policy aide to president

Kim Sang-jo, chairman of the Fair Trade Commission, was on Friday named as the new chief of staff to the president for policy.

He will replace Kim Soo-hyun, who has held the post since November last year.

“(Kim Sang-jo) has made significant contributions to establishing a fair economy as the administration’s first FTC chairman,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung said. 

Kim Sang-jo has served as FTA chairman since June 2017. He has built a career as an economics scholar with strong links to nongovernmental organizations, and as a champion of chaebol reform. 

His stance on chaebol, or family-run conglomerates, had drawn criticism that he has an anti-chaebol approach. His appointment as FTC chief had met with strong resistance from pro-market conservatives.

Along with Kim Sang-jo, President Moon Jae-in also appointed Lee Ho-seung, vice minister of economy and finance, as his top economic aide. 

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)