(왼쪽 위부터 시계방향으로) 채동욱, 김덕중, 이성환, 최수현
박근혜 대통령은 15일 검찰총장을 비롯한 세 권력기관장과 15개 외청장 등에 대한 인사를 단행했다.
검찰총장에 채동욱(54•사시 24회) 서울고검 검사장이 내정된 것을 비롯해 국세청장에 김덕중(54•행시 27회) 중부지방국체청장, 경찰청장에 이성한 (57•동국대 경찰행정학과) 부산지방경찰청장, 금융감독원장에 최수현(58•행시 25회) 금감원 수석부원장이 각각 내정됐다.
윤창중 청와대 대변인은 브리핑에서 “이번 인선의 기준과 특징은 전문성 중시에 있다”며 “주무부서에서 청장이 내려왔던 것을 최소화하고 내부 차장을 적극 승진발 령했으며 외부에서 관련 전문가들을 영입했다”고 인선 배경을 밝혔다.
채 검찰총장 내정자는 서울 출신으로 서울대 법학과를 졸업, 대전고검 검사장과 대검 중수부 수사기획관, 대검 차장 등을 지낸 특별수사통이며 김 국세청장 내정자는 대전 출신으로 중앙대 경제학과를 졸업하고 국세청 징세법무국장을 역임했다.
이 경찰청장 내정자는 서울 출신으로 동국대 경찰행정학과를 졸업한 뒤 충북ㆍ부산지방경찰청장을 지냈고, 최 금감원장 지명자는 충남 출신으로 서울대 생물교육학과를 졸업해 금융위 금융정보분석원장 등을 역임했다.
검찰총장을 비롯한 4대 권력기관장 인선에서 서울 출신이 3명에 달하는 등 지역안배와 대탕평이 고려되지 않았다는 지적에 윤대변인은 “채동욱 검찰총장 내정자의 인선배경 중 하나가 지역을 고려한 것”이라며 “채 내정자는 서울 출생으로 돼있으나 선산이 전북 군산시 옥구군 임실면으로 매년 선산을 다니고 있으며, 아버지가 5대 종손”이라며 ‘호남 고려’ 인선임을 강조했다.
또한 대통령이 대선때 약속했던 것과는 달리 경찰청장의 임기보장이 이뤄지지 않고 교체된 데 대해 “종합적으로 검토한 결과 새롭게 임명하는 것이 바람직하다고 판단했다”고 설명했다.
이로써 4대 권력기관장 내정자의 지역은 국정원장과 검찰총장, 경찰청장 등 3명이 서울, 국세청장이 대전 출신으로 영호남 출신은 전무했다.
관세청장은 백운찬(57•행시 24회) 기재부 세제실장, 조달청장은 민형종(55•행시 24회) 조달청 차장, 통계청장은 박형수(46) 한국조세연구원 연구기획본부장, 병무청장은 박창명(63•학군 12기) 경상대 초빙교수, 방위사업청장은 이용걸(56•행시 23회) 국방부 차관이 각각 발탁됐다.
또 소방재청장은 남상호(60) 대전대 대우교수, 문화재청장은 변영섭(62) 고려대 교수, 농촌진흥청장은 이양호(54•행시 26회) 농림수산식품부 기획조정실장, 산림청장은 신원섭(54) 충북대 산림학과 교수, 중소기업청장은 황철주(54) 벤처기업협회 공동회장이 각각 기용됐다.
특허청장은 김영민(55•행시 25회) 특허청 차장, 기상청장은 이일수(57•공사 29기) 기상청 차장, 행정중심복합도시건설청장은 이충재(58) 행복도시 건설청 차장, 해양경찰청장은 김석균(48•행시 37회) 해양경찰청 차장이 각각 내정됐다.
(코리아헤럴드 조정은 기자)
Park names Chae prosecution chief
President Park Geun-hye named the heads of 18 government offices Friday including the most powerful agencies of the prosecution, police and tax service.
Senior prosecutor Chae Dong-wook was nominated for the public prosecutor general and Kim Duk-joong, chief of the Jungbu Regional Tax Office, to head the National Tax Service. Busan police chief Lee Sung-han, was named to lead the National Police Agency. The three are subjected to go through a parliamentary confirmation hearing.
Chae, 54, now head of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, has long been cited for a strong candidate for the top prosecution post. He is known to have extensive experience investigating high-profile corruption.
“(I) feel a sense of heavy responsibility to be nominated to lead the prosecution at a time when it is faced with a crisis and needs to regain people’s trust,” Chae said in a statement, adding that he will humbly prepare for the confirmation hearing.
Choi Soo-hyun, senior deputy governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, was promoted to its chief and Vice Defense Minister Lee Young-gol was named to head the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
Hwang Chul-joo, chairman of the Korea Venture Business Association, was tapped as chief of the Small and Medium Business Administration, and Baek Un-chan, a senior finance ministry official, was named as head of the Korea Customs Service, the spokesman said.
On Friday’s appointment, Park promoted deputy heads of government agencies to top posts including Min Hyung-jong of the Public Procurement Service; Lee Il-soo of the Korea Meteorological Administration; Kim Young-min of the Korean Intellectual Property Office; Kim Suk-kyoon of the Korea Coast Guard and Lee Chung-jae of the Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Agency.
“By putting importance on expertise, (we) tried to promote deputy heads from the offices and bring in related experts from outside,” presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung said.
The appointment also included scholars and experts in the related fields.
The president appointed Park Hyung-Soo, director of the Korea Institute of Public Finance, to head of Statistics Korea, Byun Young-sub, archeology art history professor at Korea University to lead the Cultural Heritage Administration and Shin Won-sop, forest science professor at Chungbuk National University, to head the Korea Forest Service.
Lee Yang-ho, a senior official at the agriculture ministry, was also named to head the Rural Development Administration, Park Chang-myung, visiting professor at Kyeongsang University to lead the Military Manpower Administration and Nam Sang-ho, disaster prevention professor at Daejeon University as the chief of the National Emergency Management Agency.
Earlier in the day, Busan police chief Lee was recommended as the new commissioner of the National Police Agency. Lee, 57, is set to replace Kim Ki-yong who had been widely expected to retain his job.
The decision was made at an emergency meeting of the seven-member National Police Commission and delivered to the presidential office through the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.
The president will officially appoint the new police chief after a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, which does not have a veto power.
“(I) feel a great deal of responsibility to be nominated for the post that takes a difficult and important task,” Lee said. “(I) will do my best to eradicate ‘the four evils’ (which are included in) the new state philosophy,” he said.
A native of Seoul, Lee graduated from Dongkuk University with a bachelor’s degree in police administration. He joined the police in 1983 and served various posts including foreign affairs bureau chief and head of provincial police agency for North Chungcheong Province.
Later in the afternoon, Park met with leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party at Cheong Wa Dae to discuss ways to resolve the political standoff over her government reorganization bill.
“The president had asked both the ruling and opposition parties for a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae to try to narrow their differences in pending issues. But the DUP said it will not attend the meeting unless the Saenuri Party accepts its demand,” the presidential spokesman said prior to the meeting.
The rival parties have been locking horns over the new government reorganization plans, namely whether the Future Planning and Science Ministry should take on the role of overseeing cable channels and other broadcasting outlets from the watchdog Korea Communication Commission.
The opposition party has strongly opposed Park’s idea saying that it would put broadcasting firms under state control. The president denied the claim.
The parliamentary impasse has obviously affected the confirmation process for minister-nominees.
After hearings, parliamentary committees refused to adopt assessment reports for Defense Minister-nominee Kim Byung-kwan and Financial Minister-nominee Hyun Oh-seok.
Despite resistance from the opposition party and skepticism among some Saenuri members, Park is likely to appoint the two next week.
Park reportedly decided to go ahead and formally install both controversy-ridden nominees to the post to cope with rising tension with North Korea and a global economic slowdown.
According to the relevant laws, the president can finalize an appointment of a Cabinet member if the 20-day period is passed after the nomination bill is sent to the Assembly regardless of the parliamentary decision.
The opposition DUP continued to attack the two minister-nominees on Friday, saying they are not qualified to take the key posts.
“Minister-nominee Hyun can be described as man lacking in belief, capability, responsibility and leadership,” Rep. Seol Hoon of DUP said. “(If the president) continues to go with Kim as well as Hyun, Park will pass on the burden to state affairs,” he added.
Cabinet ministers and senior presidential secretaries will hold a workshop Saturday, the presidential office said.
The meeting will be attended by about 60 officials including Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, all government ministers, vice ministers and senior presidential secretaries, presidential spokesman Yoon said.
Senior officials will share the vision of the new government’s philosophy in state affairs, exchange ideas to implement major state-led project and build teamwork, he said.
(
christory@heraldcorp.com)