President Moon Jae-in on Monday appointed Lee In-young, a four-term ruling party lawmaker, as the new unification minister in charge of inter-Korean relations, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee immediately began his term the same day, following Moon‘s appointment.

Lee was nominated for the post early this month to succeed the former minister, Kim Yeon-chul, who resigned last month over frayed inter-Korean relations.

“I will put all my efforts for the Unification Ministry to take a strategic path and bring about bold changes to put the ministry at the center of the ‘time of the South and North,’” he told reporters as he arrived at the ministry building in central Seoul.

Lee stressed putting high priority on resuming inter-Korean talks and humanitarian cooperation immediately. “Through this process, we will create trust and that will lead to implementing agreements and promises made between the two Koreas,” he said.

He went through a parliamentary confirmation hearing last week, and the formal hearing report was adopted amid a boycott by the main opposition United Future Party.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)