Presidential chief of staff, 2 incumbent ministers being considered as next PM: sources

“President Lee Jae Myung was in the final stage of selecting a new prime minister, with presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik and two incumbent ministers currently under consideration, sources said Thursday. Lee is highly likely to announce his nominee as soon as this week, who will replace current Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, if appointed, according to the sources. Kim is expected to tender his resignation soon, the ruling bloc sources told Yonhap News Agency, as he may run for the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) at its convention in August or September. Along with the presidential chief of staff, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho and Han Seong-sook, minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), were currently being considered for the post of prime minister, according to the sources. Serving as Lee's chief of staff since his inauguration a year earlier, Kang has also been working as his special envoy for strategic economic cooperation and is well acquainted with the president's diplomatic and economic policies. Justice Minister Jung, a five-term lawmaker,

Summary generated from the RSS feed of Korea Times Southkorea. All article rights belong to the original publisher. Click through to read the full piece on www.koreatimes.co.kr.