S. Korea completes nomination of cabinet members

SEOUL - South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday completed the nomination of his cabinet members under the new government about two months after his inauguration.

Presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun told reporters that Moon named two cabinet members who lead the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Chiefs of the Korea Communications Commission and the Financial Services Commission were newly nominated, while the posts for the senior presidential secretaries for economic affairs and for job creation were also named.

The ministerial-level posts would be subject to parliamentary confirmation hearings, but they do not need to be approved by lawmakers. The posts for senior presidential secretaries would not be subject to the hearings.

With the Monday nomination, Moon's first cabinet filled the posts of 17 ministers. The presidential Blue House has eight senior secretaries, two aides and two deputy heads of the national security office and the security service.

Many of the new cabinet members were occupied by those who campaigned together with Moon in the presidential by-election. Moon won a landslide victory in the May 9 election.

Four of the ruling Democratic Party lawmakers also joined Moon's first cabinet under the new government.

Professors of prestigious colleges who had actively participated in the civic group activities also joined the Moon cabinet, while four female ministers were nominated and accounted for 23.5 percent of the total 17 ministerial posts in the cabinet.