대통령직 인수위원회(위원장 김용준)가 6일 오후 현판식을 하고 공식 출범했다.

인수위는 제18대 대통령 취임식 전날인 내달 24일까지 49일간 제18대 대통령 취임과 새 정부 출범을 위한 본격적인 국정인수인계 활동을 벌인다.

인수위는 이날 오후 2시 서울 삼청동 금융연수원 별관에서 박근혜 대통령 당선인과 김용준 인수위원장, 진영 부위원장 및 24명의 인수위원 등이 참석한 가운데 제18대 대통령직 인수위 현판식을 가졌다.

이들은 별관에 마련된 인수위 사무실 현관 앞에서 `대통령직인수위원회'라고 쓰인 목재 현판의 흰색 가림막을 떼어내며 인수위의 닻을 올렸다.

박 당선인은 이어 사무실로 자리를 옮겨 인수위원장ㆍ부위원장ㆍ위원들과 취임준비위원장, 대통령당선인 비서실장, 정무팀장, 홍보팀장, 남녀 대변인에게 임명장을 수여했다.

그는 이어진 상견례 자리에서 "대통령직인수위가 책임감 있게 일해줬으면 좋겠다"며 "가장 모범적인 인수위가 되도록 노력해달라"고 당부했다.

그는 또 국정 인수인계와 더불어 `박근혜 정부'의 주요 국정과제 선정 등을 차질없이, 낮은 자세로 준비해줄 것을 당부한 것으로 알려졌다.

인수위는 이후 김용준 위원장 주재로 첫 전체회의를 열어 앞으로의 활동 방향을 논의했다.

전체회의가 끝난 후에는 오후 4시부터 통의동 금융감독원 연수원에서 인수위원 전원과 김상민 청년특위위원장, 전문위원들이 참석한 가운데 전체 워크숍이 열렸다.

비공개로 진행된 워크숍에서 17대대통령직인수위 부위원장이었던 김형오 전 국회의장은 `인수위의 성공을 위한 과거사례 연구', 인수위 총괄간사역인 유민봉 국정기획조정분과 간사는 `박근혜 정부의 국정운영기조와 인수위 활동방향'에 대해 각각 특강을 했다.

한편, 박 당선인에 대해서는 삼엄한 국가원수급의 경호가 이뤄졌다.


<영문 기사>


Park launches transition team 50 days before takeover 

President-elect Park Geun-hye’s transition committee began official operations on Sunday, with 50 days to go until her inauguration.

The process of finalizing the committee lineup and the launch has taken longer than past cases, with Park only finalizing the members on Friday, 15 days after the election or about 10 days later than the timing of President Lee Myung-bak’s transition committee in 2007.

Park’s team is expected to begin receiving briefings from the government ministries on Tuesday while revising the government structure.

The structural changes for the government are expected to be announced towards the end of the month, and the ministerial candidates are likely to be announced early next month.

For the post of prime minister, the president-elect is reported to be looking for an individual who not only shares her visions but also holds appeal to the opposition parties, raising speculations that an individual from the Jeolla region will likely be her first choice.

Despite the comparatively drawn out selection process, the transition committee is said to already have a number of issues under review.

According to sources, the committee is reviewing plans to establish an independent body for managing high-level appointments as part of Park’s plans to shield related matters from the influences of the president and others close to the center of power.

If plans are finalized, a body similar to the Civil Service Commission that was abolished under the Lee Myung-bak administration could be established.

In addition, the transition committee is said to reviewing plans to set up a presidential committee to oversee welfare policies.

Under the current system, about 290 welfare programs are overseen by different government ministries.

“Plans to establish the (committee) as a presidential organization, and the president personally taking the chair are under consideration,” an anonymous transition committee official was quoted as saying by a local news agency.

For transition team, however, drawing up plans for the incoming administration will not be the only task.

The ruling party and the president-elect have already earned the criticism of the main opposition Democratic United Party for developments concerning the transition committee.

Since being elected on Dec. 19, Park has for the most part remained away from the spotlight, and has maintained high level of security with regards to her personnel decisions.

Park’s decision to keep her choices to herself until the last possible minute incited heavy criticism from the DUP that termed the process “enclosed appointment” referring to the level of secrecy surrounding her choices.

A number of individuals selected for key positions have also been subjected to criticism beginning the decision to give the post of chief spokesman to right-wing pundit Yoon Chang-jung.

Later appointments including Seoul National University professor Park Hyo-chong also stirred up the opposition party for their strong conservative leanings.

In 2006 Park Hyo-chong, the head of the transition team’s political affairs subcommittee, served as a co-representative of the conservative group Textbook Forum. At the time, Park Hyo-chong is said to have assessed the 1961 coup led by the president-elect’s father Park Chung-hee as being “a coup as well as a revolution.”

Along with the SNU professor, Sungkyunkwan University professor Yoo Min-bong’s appointment as a representative of the subcommittee for the planning and coordination of state affairs also aggravated the DUP for his connections to the new right movement.


By Choi He-suk
(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)