SEOUL– President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s pick for his presidential chief of staff, Kim Dae-ki, is a seasoned economic technocrat who is specialized in drawing up economic policies and budget planning.
Kim, 66, had served in various capacities at the finance ministry since 1978. Along with his rich experience in government service, Kim had worked at the presidential office as a chief of staff for policy between 2012 and 2013.
Yoon described Kim as an “economic expert who also has a sense of political affairs.”
Kim told reporters that Yoon picked him because the president-elect put his top priority on reviving economic growth.
Between 2008 and 2009, Kim worked as head of the nation’s statistics agency under the Lee Myung-bak administration. He also served as a senior presidential secretary for economic affairs between 2011 and 2013.
Previously, Kim had worked with Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo and Finance Minister nominee Choo Kyung-ho.
In 2012, Kim and Han, who was an ambassador to the United States at that time, worked together on preparations before a bilateral free trade deal between South Korea and the U.S. went into effect.
Kim also worked with Choo at the presidential office between 2006 and 2007.
Source: Yonhap News Agency