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PM nomination and Cheong Wa Dae overhaul expected this week

By Choi He-suk

President-elect Park Geun-hye is expected to finalize her government reform plans this week by unveiling a new structure of the presidential office and detailed distribution of authorities among ministries in a follow-up of the Cabinet reorganization announced last Tuesday.

The incoming leader is also likely to name the prime minister nominee this week before the National Assembly opens its extraordinary session.

Since Park’s election, pundits have predicted that a “small and efficient” organization for the presidential office will be likely in accordance with the pledges to increase the authority wielded by the prime minister and to reduce those of the president.

As such, a number of senior secretaries’ posts appear likely to be removed, while a new office on par with those of chief of staff and chief of policy staff will be established.

Those considered most likely to be abolished are senior secretaries for foreign affairs and national security and for national crisis management, which will be absorbed by a new national security office.

A new social security commission to be established directly under the president is expected to be in charge of welfare, while the position of senior secretary for civil affairs is expected to be downsized as its role of monitoring and inspecting irregularities of the president’s families and associates will be taken over by the special auditor pledged by Park.

As the nominees for prime minister and other ministerial posts are required to undergo parliamentary confirmation hearings, Park, who is said to be focusing on finalizing the roster at her Seoul home, is expected to reveal her plans before the parliamentary session begins on Thursday.

While no information was forthcoming from the transition committee, reports citing unnamed sources have come out saying that the list of potential prime minister nominees has been narrowed to three or four names, and that final vetting process is already under way.

Transition committee spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, however, warned that reports citing anonymous sources do not show “the president-elect’s thoughts nor have anything to do with us.”

The nominee for Park’s first prime minister is widely expected to be someone who is not from the Gyeongsang provinces, in line with Park’s pledge to achieve “grand social integration.” The Gyeongsang provinces on the eastern side of the country are a traditional stronghold of conservatives.

The speculations are supported by transition committee chief Kim Yong-joon’s comment on Friday that “integration-focused appointment” would be appropriate for the prime minister’s post.

As Park adds final touches to her plans for the presidential office, her transition team is concentrating on fine-tuning the government reorganization plans announced on Jan. 15.

Under the plans, 17 ministries, three lower-level ministries and 17 agencies will be created from the current 15 ministries, two lower ministries and 18 agencies. The two new ministries will be the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and a ministry of future, creation and science.

In addition to the new organizations, major changes are in the works for a number of ministries, some of which, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, have expressed dissatisfaction with the plans.

(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)