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President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday nominated former justice minister Kim Sung-ho (58) as the first chief of the National Intelligence Service of his new government. Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said Kim ¡°fits the new government's ideal of creative pragmatism. He is also expected to contribute to the NIS's transformation into a pure intelligence agency that works for national interest."
Kim hails from Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province. That means all nominees or incumbent chiefs of the so-called "Big Four" law-enforcement agencies are from President Lee¡¯s native Gyeongsang provinces. Besides Kim they are justice minister-designate Kim Kyung-han (Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang), Prosecutor General Lim Chai-jin (Namhae, South Gyeongsang), and Police Commissioner General Eo Cheong-soo (Jinju, South Gyeongsang). Including Lee Jong-chan, the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs who hails from Goseong, South Gyeongsang, the list swells to five.
Meanwhile, the United Democratic Party Thursday decided not to confirm health and welfare minister-designate Kim Soung-yee after a parliamentary hearing.
In a daily briefing, UDP spokesman Choi Jae-sung said, "We can't approve minister-designate Kim Soung-yee as a qualified candidate." However, in a meeting on Thursday afternoon, Grand National Party floor leader Ahn Sang-soo and his UDP counterpart Kim Hyo-seuk agreed to confrim prime minister-designate Han Seung-soo at a house plenary session on Friday afternoon.
Prior to the session, a UDP caucus must reach a decision on Han. Many UDP lawmakers are reportedly in favor of a free vote on Han, considering that their party has already succeeded in getting unification minister-designate Nam Joo-hong and environment minister-designate Park Eun-kyung to withdraw their bid.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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