President Moon Jae-in replaced seven presidential secretaries on Sunday, including naming a former Cheong Wa Dae staffer known as one of Moon's closest aides as his new protocol secretary.

Park Kyung-mee, a former ruling party lawmaker, has been named secretary for education, with Tak Hyun-min, a former Cheong Wa Dae staffer, appointed as new protocol secretary, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Park was a professor of mathematics education at Hongik University and lawmaker with the Democratic Party. She was defeated in the April 15 parliamentary election.

Tak is known for his experience and expertise in organizing events. He led the government's preparations for the Panmunjom ceremony on April 27 last year to commemorate the first anniversary of the historic summit between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the truce village.

Moon also replaced some of key players in the public communication team. He tapped Han Jung-woo, director of the Chunchugwan presidential press center, as secretary for public information and Lee Ji-soo, executive at the Korean Standards Association, as secretary for foreign press.

The president promoted Kim Jae-joon, who is working at the Personal Secretary Office of Cheong Wa Dae, to succeed Han.

The other Cheong Wa Dae officials -- Lee Ki-heon and Jo Kyung-ho -- have been promoted to serve as secretary civil participation and secretary for social unity, respectively.

The new lineup of secretaries, apparently familiar with details of Moon's policies, comes as his administration is striving to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and gear up for the post-coronavirus era. (Yonhap)