Seoul names chief of national crisis management body

SEOUL - South Korea’s president Friday named Ahn Kwang Chan, a retired Army policy specialist, to head a newly formed crisis management office, set up after perceived shortfalls in dealing with security threats from North Korea.

Ahn, 54, served as head of the defence ministry’s policy bureau and as deputy chief of military strategy at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

He is to upgrade South Korea’s defence capabilities after criticism of Seoul’s slow and weak response to an artillery attack by Pyongyang on a South Korean island close to the disputed maritime border in the Yellow Sea in November.

The new office was set up earlier this month.

President Lee Myung Bak also announced a minor cabinet reshuffle Friday, replacing his culture minister and naming an aide minister for knowledge economy.

Choung Byoung Gug, a three-term lawmaker, was named culture minister, and Choi Joong Kyung, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, is to take over as knowledge economy minister.

The nominees do not need parliamentary approval.

Lee also named a successor to the audit board and brought back close confidantes as senior aides in the presidential office.