Park Jeong-seong, 53, director general for trade and investment at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, was promoted to Deputy Minister for trade on the 3rd. Park, the deputy minister, has led negotiations as the working-level representative on the task force (TF) for negotiations with the United States formed after the launch of the new government.
Born in 1972, Deputy Minister Park graduated from Daegu Gyeongwon High School and Seoul National University's department of economics, and entered public service in 1997 through the 40th civil service exam. Park later served as deputy ambassador at the Permanent Mission of Korea to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, director general for trade policy, and director general for trade and investment.
Directors general who played key roles on the TF for negotiations with the United States were also promoted. Kwon Hye-jin, 54, director general for FTA negotiations who led the negotiation support team, was appointed head of the Office of Trade Negotiations, and Park Dong-il, director general for manufacturing industries who led the industrial cooperation team, was appointed head of the Office of Industrial Policy.
Kwon, the head of the office, graduated from Busan Daemyung Girls' High School and Seoul National University's department of English language and literature, and joined the ministry through the 41st civil service exam. Kwon served as head of the FTA goods division, head of the shipbuilding and offshore plant division, and director for FTA negotiations. An official at the ministry said, "For the first time in a while since Director-General Yoo Myung-hee, a woman has been appointed to grade 1."
Park Dong-il, 55, the head of the office, graduated from Jeonbuk Sangsang High School and Seoul National University's department of economics. A member of the 40th civil service exam cohort, Park served as director for materials, parts and equipment cooperation, director general for nuclear power industry policy, and director for manufacturing industry policy.
Gang Gam-chan, 52, the industrial policy director, was also promoted to director general for trade and investment. Gang graduated from Ulsan Hakseong High School and Seoul National University's department of agricultural economics, and joined the ministry through the 42nd civil service exam. Gang served as head of the electric power industry policy division, director for trade security policy, and director for industrial policy.
Seo Ga-ram, 56, a standing commissioner of the Korea Trade Commission, graduated from Seoul Myeonmok High School and Seoul National University's department of international relations, and joined through the 40th civil service exam. Seo served as director general for trade cooperation, minister-counselor at the Embassy of Korea in Japan, and director general for trade policy.