A new South Korean administration under President Yoon Suk-yeol has taken off Tuesday, with a vice-ministerial level cabinet due to delayed confirmation on prime minister and other key ministers.

Yoon on Monday named 20 vice ministers in an unusual move as opposition-dominant legislative stalled confirmation hearings on his cabinet appointees. Vice ministers usually are appointed weeks later, but were seated hurriedly to ensure smooth state management under a new leadership.

Bang Ki-seon was promoted as the first vice-minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Bang, executive director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is an expert on economic policy and will assist in macro-economic policy designing. Budgeting expert Choi Sang-dae was selected as the second vice-minister of the finance ministry.

They are deputies to deputy prime minister and finance minister Choo Kyung-ho, who will have to act as the head of the cabinet due to delayed confirmation of prime minister-nominee Han Duck-soo.

Cho Hyun-dong, a former senior member of the foreign service, has become the first vice minister of the foreign ministry, while Lee Do-hoon, who served as top North Korean policy envoy, serves the second vice-minister.

Kim Ki-woong, a former presidential secretary for unification, was promoted to vice unification minister, while Shin Beom-chul, chief of the Research Institute for Economy and society, appointed to vice defense minister.

By Kim Jung-hwan, Song Gwang-sup, Han Ye-kyung, Kim Sung-hoon, Park In-hye, and Jenny Lee

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]