President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday appointed former Culture Minister and actor Yu In-chon as presidential adviser for cultural affairs and sports, a new position his office said was created to bolster the nation's cultural content and industry.
The 72-year-old actor is returning to a public role 11 years after he led the state-run Seoul Arts Center in 2012. Between 2008 and 2011, he served as culture minister under the Lee Myung-bak administration. Kim Dae-ki, a former second vice minister of the Culture Ministry during Yu's tenure, currently serves as Yoon’s chief of staff. Yu has been advising the Yoon administration on culture and art policies, a senior government official told The Korea Herald.
Yu earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the theater and film college at Chung-Ang University. He began his acting career in 1973 and gained popularity after portraying a character based on "Korea's youngest CEO" -- Lee Myung-bak, who would later become president -- in the popular 1990-91 drama series "The Years of Ambition."
The presidential office also unveiled a list of vice ministerial posts at state agencies.
Lee Hyoung-il, deputy minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, has been appointed as the new head of Statistics Korea. Lee entered public service in 1992 and has since held positions such as the director of the ministry's economic policy bureau and senior adviser at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Cho Hong-sun, an investigation manager at the Fair Trade Commission, has been appointed as the new vice chairman of the Fair Trade Commission. Cho began his public service career in 1994 and has since served the commission in various roles, including as distribution policy officer, spokesperson and director of the cartel investigation bureau.
Ko Kwang-hyo, the head of the tax office at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, has been appointed as the new head of the Korea Customs Service. After entering public service in 1992, the newly appointed commissioner has served in roles including director general of tax policy and head of the tax office at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Kim Yoon-sang, financial management officer at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, has been appointed as the head of the Public Procurement Service. Since beginning his public service career in 1992, Kim has served in various roles including budget general manager, financial system manager and regional budget manager.
Kim Kyung-ann, chairman of the party council of Iksan in North Jeolla Province for the ruling People Power Party, has been appointed as the head of the Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency. Meanwhile, Kang Hee-up, a standing member of the Transport Ministry’s Metropolitan Transport Commission, has been appointed as the chairman of the commission.
