(LEAD) Yoon creates new office for policy, replaces all 5 senior secretaries

▲ The incoming senior presidential secretaries attend a press briefing announcing their appointments at the presidential office in Seoul on Nov. 30, 2023. From left to right are Lee Kwan-sup, chief of the new office for policy; Hwang Sang-moo, senior secretary for civil and social agenda; Han O-sub, senior secretary for political affairs; Park Chun-sup, senior economic affairs secretary; Lee Do-woon, senior public relations secretary; and Jang Sang-yoon, senior secretary for social policy.

▲ A set of photos, provided by South Korea's presidential office on Nov. 30, 2023, shows the incoming senior presidential secretaries appointed by President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon created a new presidential office for policy and replaced all five senior secretaries Thursday. From left on the top row are Lee Kwan-sup, chief of the new office for policy; Hwang Sang-moo, senior secretary for civil and social agenda; and Han O-sub, senior secretary for political affairs. From left on the bottom row are Park Chun-sup, senior economic affairs secretary; Lee Do-woon, senior public relations secretary; and Jang Sang-yoon, senior secretary for social policy. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This file photo shows the presidential office in Seoul. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) presidential office-reorganization

(LEAD) Yoon creates new office for policy, replaces all 5 senior secretaries

(ATTN: UPDATES with announcement of new senior presidential secretaries; CHANGES headline; ADDS photo)

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol created a new presidential office for policy and replaced all five senior secretaries Thursday, a sweeping reorganization meant to help propel his agenda in his upcoming third year in office.

The new office for policy was created to improve coordination with the Cabinet and the ruling People Power Party in the process of pushing policies that will help people's livelihoods, Kim Eun-hye, the senior secretary for public relations, said in a press briefing before her replacement was announced.

The policy office will be headed by Lee Kwan-sup, who has until now served as the senior presidential secretary for policy planning, and oversee the offices of the senior secretary for economic affairs and the senior secretary for social policy, she said.

The five offices currently under the senior secretary for policy planning -- handling national planning, national agenda, policy coordination, government information, and speech and communication -- will be transferred to the new policy office.

With Lee's promotion, the position of senior secretary for policy planning was abolished, reducing the number of senior secretaries to five for now.

"(Lee) has smoothly resolved major issues until now by demonstrating remarkable policy planning and coordination skills," presidential chief of staff Kim Dae-ki said during a separate press briefing.

"He has deep insight into overall state affairs and based on communication with diverse stakeholders will be the right person to lead state tasks with momentum," he said.

Han O-sub, presidential secretary for state affairs monitoring, was named to replace Lee Jin-bok as senior secretary for political affairs, the chief of staff said.

Hwang Sang-moo, a former KBS news anchor, was tapped to succeed Kang Seung-kyoo as senior secretary for civil and social agenda, while current presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon was promoted to replace Kim Eun-hye as senior public relations secretary.

In addition, Park Chun-sup, a monetary policymaker of the Bank of Korea, was tapped to succeed Choi Sang-mok as senior economic affairs secretary, while Vice Education Minister Jang Sang-yoon was named to replace Ahn Sang-hoon as senior secretary for social policy.

Yoon is expected to create the position of senior secretary for science and technology in the coming weeks, which, once established, will also be placed under the new policy office.

The policy office is effectively being revived after it was abolished at the start of Yoon's term to "slim down" the organizational structure of the presidential office.

The appointments also coincide with the planned departures of the current senior secretaries, many of whom are reportedly weighing a bid for parliament in next April's general elections.

Choi, the senior economic affairs secretary, meanwhile, has reportedly been tapped to replace Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho, who is also expected to run for parliament.

All of the new appointees are set to assume office next Monday.

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