(Note: Details will be updated from time to time)
Written by Lee Hae
SEOUL, April 17 (Yonhap) – The Blue House on Wednesday denied reports that two people close to former President Moon Jae-in are being considered as candidates for the next prime minister and presidential chief of staff.
TV Chosun and YTN reported that President Yoon Seok-yeol is considering appointing Park Yong-sun, former Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, as prime minister, and Yang Jong-cheol, former director of the Democratic Institute, a think tank affiliated with the Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition party, as prime minister. It was reported that Chief of Staff.
Presidential Palace (Yonhap)
In a notice to the press, the Blue House said, “The appointments of former Minister Park Yong-sun and former Democratic Institute for Democratic Studies director Yang Jong-chul, as reported by some media outlets, are not being considered.''
Park served as a minister under the former liberal president, while Yang is known as one of Moon's closest confidants.
The report came as Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, presidential chief of staff Lee Kwang-seop, and most of the presidential secretaries submitted their resignations, taking responsibility for the ruling party's crushing defeat in last week's parliamentary elections.
According to political insiders, Mr. Yang told aides that he thought the report was “far-fetched.”
According to YTN, Yoon is also considering appointing Kim Jong-min, co-chairman of the minority New Future Party, as the first special minister of political affairs. Kim is aligned with former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon during the Moon Jae-in administration.
“This is an outrageous story,” a senior presidential official told Yonhap News.
However, another presidential official noted that Yoon had said the day before that there was nothing he could not do for the people in the wake of his election defeat, and acknowledged that all three candidates were carefully considering the options.
hague@yna.co.kr
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