Moon replaces two more senior aides

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday named new senior secretaries for public relations, and social policy, continuing the reshuffle that began last month.

For the post of social policy senior secretary, Moon named Yoon Chang-yul, who currently heads the planning and coordination office under the Prime Minister’s Office.

The current senior social policy secretary Kim Yeon-myung is not among the six senior aides who offered their resignation on Friday, and speculations have risen that Moon may have plans to appoint him as the health minister in the next Cabinet reshuffle.

“Yoon Chang-ryul held key posts within the Office for Government Policy Coordination,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok said. Kang went onto say that he has balanced views on state affairs, and is considered to be highly capable in planning and coordinating social policies.

As for the senior public relations secretary’s post, Moon picked Chung Man-ho to replace Yoon Do-han. Chung, a former journalist who entered politics in 2002, and served within the presidential office during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and served as a deputy governor for economy of Gangwon Province until earlier this year.

With the latest appointments, Moon has replaced four of the six senior aides who offered their resignations on Friday. The six who offered to resign are chief of staff Noh Young-min, Kang Gi-jung for political affairs, Yoon Do-han for public communication, Kim Jo-won for civil affairs, Kim Geo-sung for civil society and Kim Oe-sook for personnel management.

Of these, the personnel management secretary and the chief of staff have yet to be replaced, and Cheong Wa Dae officials have declined to comment. The political affairs, civil affairs and justice, and civil society secretaries were replaced on Tuesday.

Five of the six -- excluding Kang Ki-jung -- offered their resignations taking responsibility over “recent developments,” according to Cheong Wa Dae. Although the presidential office did not elaborate on the specifics.

The controversy over multiple homeownership among presidential aides began some months ago when Noh, who owned two homes until recently, called for senior officials to sell properties and leave just one in their possession.

However, controversy grew when some of the officials were slow to respond -- such as putting properties on the market for prices significantly higher than market rates -- that fanned criticism that they were choosing real estate over their government jobs.

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