Yoo, 55, former minister of food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, is one of the closest aides to President-elect Park Geun-hye.

The veteran bureaucrat and third-term lawmaker served as top secretary to Park from 2008 to 2010 when she reduced her political activities following her defeat to President Lee Myung-bak in the presidential nomination race of the Grand National Party.

He is currently the deputy chief of the preparatory committee for her inauguration.

The nominee started his public career at the Ministry of Home Affairs (now the Ministry of Pubic Administration and Security) in 1979 and served as governor for Gimpo County. He became a lawmaker in 2004 and led the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for a year in 2010.

He chaired the Asia general meeting of the U.N. food and agricultural organization in 2010.

He was born on June 16, 1957 in Incheon City, and graduated from Yonsei University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies.

(wone0102@heraldcorp.com)