▲ This undated file photo shows Oceans Minister nominee Hwang Jong-woo, as provided by the presidential office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(profile) oceans minister nominee

(profile) Maritime-focused bureaucrat nominated as oceans minister

SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday nominated veteran maritime policymaker Hwang Jong-woo as oceans minister, citing his decades of experience in maritime affairs.

Hwang, 59, currently serves as chair of the Korea Maritime Cooperation Center's international cooperation committee. He previously held a series of senior posts at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, where he oversaw maritime and port-related policy affairs.

The nomination comes 81 days after former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo stepped down amid allegations that he accepted bribes from the Unification Church.

In a written statement, Hwang said he feels a deep sense of responsibility as the first ministerial nominee since the ministry's relocation to Busan, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at a time of heightened global uncertainty.

"I will faithfully prepare for the confirmation hearing despite my shortcomings," he said.

Hwang holds a bachelor's degree in law from Seoul National University and a master's degree from the university's Graduate School of Public Administration.

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