Veterans Minister nominee Kwon Oh-eul vowed Wednesday to make efforts to foster communication between liberal and conservative groups amid deep political polarization in the country.
Kwon voiced the need to bridge the differences between the two sides, two days after being nominated as the first veterans minister of the Lee Jae Myung administration.
"If opportunities for dialogue are created frequently, the Taegeukgi and candlelight rallies in Gwanghwamun will be able to communicate and understand each other," he told reporters, referring to the large-scale rallies led by conservative and liberal groups respectively.
Kwon, a former three-term lawmaker from the conservative bloc, has stood out among Lee's picks for his Cabinet this week, considering his political background. He joined Lee's presidential campaign this year, pledging to promote centrist and conservative values within Lee's liberal Democratic Party.
"I understood the meaning behind the president's nomination of me as veterans minister is to lead national unity and integration by rewarding patriotism," he said.
Kwon also paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives during the 1950-53 Korean War as the country marks the 75th anniversary of the conflict's outbreak on Wednesday. He vowed to carry out Lee's Memorial Day pledge to provide "special" compensation for those who made sacrifices for the country. (Yonhap)
