New S.Korean president appoints PM, spy agency chief, presidential staff

President Moon Jae-in of South Korea on Wednesday appointed new prime minister, intelligence agency chief, presidential chief of staff and chief of the presidential security service.

Lee Nak-yon, an incumbent governor of South Jeolla province, was named as the first prime minister of the Moon government.

Lee, 65, is a former journalist who entered politics in 2000 and served as a four-term lawmaker.

He worked as spokesman for late liberal presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. He was elected in 2014 as the provincial governor.

The prime minister nominee will be subject to the parliamentary hearing, requiring a parliamentary ratification to take office.

Im Jong-seok, 51, was named as presidential chief of staff. He is a two-term lawmaker who served as chief of staff for Moon's campaign team in the presidential race.

Im is a famous student activist in 1980s who visited a students' festival held in 1989 in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

For the visit, he was jailed for three and a half years. Under the national security law, it is illegal to visit the DPRK without advance permission from the government.

He entered politics in 2000 by joining the New Millennium Democratic Party, a predecessor of the current ruling Minjoo Party, and was elected as the youngest lawmaker in the year.

Im also worked for Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon as vice mayor on political affairs. Endit