Lee loyalists return

President Lee Myung-bak yesterday appointed one of his loyalists as chief of a presidential advisory committee aimed at forging a national vision.

Kwak Seung-jun, former presidential secretary for state affairs planning, became the latest among Lee`s most trusted allies to return to public office.

On Monday, Lee named two ex-secretaries, Lee Ju-ho and Park Young-june, to the No. 2 posts at the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister`s Office, respectively.

The appointments were part of a government reshuffle in which Lee consolidated his grip on the administration and enhanced his economic team to fight a looming recession.

All of the three were dismissed last June when the president replaced most of his secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae during massive street protests against U.S. beef imports.

Kwak, a Korea University professor of economics, will chair the Presidential Council for National Future and Vision.

The chief post has been vacant since July when its former chairman, Ahn Byong-man, was appointed education minister. As a presidential aide, Kwak led the formation of the blue-ribbon panel.

Before the 2007 presidential election, Kwak played a key role in formulating Lee`s campaign pledges including the controversial plan to build a cross-country canal network.

He was a core member of the Global Strategy Institute, a think tank that developed Lee`s policies. The institute was led by Lee`s first chief of staff, Yu Woo-ik.

Kwak has been widely criticized in connection with his huge wealth, most of which he inherited from his businessman father. With 11 billion won in assets, he was the richest among presidential aides. His father allegedly falsified his residential address to smooth the transfer of some properties.

Lee Ju-ho, a former Grand National Party lawmaker, was the key brain behind Lee`s educational reform plans.

Park Young-june has been Lee`s closest political adviser since Lee was Seoul mayor between 2002 and 2006. He was sacked after a power struggle with GNP lawmaker Chung Du-eon, another member of the inner circle around the president.

The president conducted a government reshuffle this week affecting four Cabinet ministers, two agency chiefs and 15 vice-ministerial posts.

The shakeup is marked by the advancement of officials close to Lee, including Minister of Public Administration and Security Won Sei-hoon, who was appointed as chief of the National Intelligence Service.

Political scientist Hyun In-taek, the main architect of Lee`s North Korea policy, was tapped as unification minister.

By Hwang Jang-jin

(jjhwang@heraldm.com)

[출처 : 코리아헤럴드]