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UNCLAS SEOUL 003608 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KN KS PGOV PREL PINR
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT-ELECT NAMES TRANSITION LEADERS 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: On December 26 President-elect Lee 
Myung-bak formally named Lee Kyung-sook chairperson of his 
transition team, making her the first Korean woman to serve 
in that capacity.  Lee has named a total of 26 people, 
filling some key positions.  In addition to the Chairperson, 
Lee Myung-bak appointed Representative Kim Hyung-o as Vice 
Chairman; Lee Dong-kwan as Transition Committee Spokesman; 
and Representative Lim Tae-hee as Chief of Staff.  Other 
appointments will be made later this week after consultation 
with Lee Kyung-sook.  Serving in one of these key positions 
is not necessarily an indicator of who will fill key posts in 
the administration, but it does denote closeness to and 
compatible policy views with the president-elect.  End 
Summary. 
 
------------ 
Organization 
------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Lee Myung-bak's transition team, at a projected 180 
members, will be significantly smaller than President Roh 
Moo-hyun's transition team, which numbered 247.  The 
transition organization will be comprised of one special 
committee on national competitiveness and seven separate 
subcommittees covering economic, foreign affairs, education, 
and administrative issues.  Lee Myung-bak will also retain an 
advisory group that reports directly to him. 
 
------------------------- 
Chairwoman Lee Kyung-sook 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Lee Kyung-sook (64) is in her fourth term as 
president of Sookmyung Women's University and first met 
candidate-elect Lee at church.  She graduated from Sookmyung 
with a degree in political science and went on to get her 
master's degree from the University of Kansas and her 
doctorate from the University of South Carolina.  She has 
served on numerous Boards of Directors, including that of 
Samsung Corporation in 1998.  Lee is married to Choi 
Young-sang -- former vice president of Korea University -- 
and has one daughter and one son.  Lee is credited with 
improving Sookmyung's academic standing and, more 
importantly, successfully endowing the once very poor 
university. 
 
------------------------- 
Vice Chairman Kim Hyung-o 
------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Kim Hyung-o (60) is a fourth-term GNP lawmaker and 
was formerly Chairman of Lee Myung-bak's "National Vision" 
campaign.  Kim has his bachelor's and master's degrees in 
political science from Seoul National University and his 
doctorate from Kyungnam University.  He has been a lawmaker 
since 1992 and was GNP floor leader from 2006-2007. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Transition Committee Spokesman Lee Dong-kwan 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Lee Dong-kwan (50) was a public relations aid for 
Lee Myung-bak's campaign and served as a National Election 
Commission public affairs officer.  Lee, born in Seoul, 
attended Seoul National University where he majored in 
political science.  Formerly Tokyo correspondent, Political 
Desk Chief, and editorial writer and Dong-A Newspaper, Lee 
was recognized during the campaign for his political 
sensitivity and agility in analyzing press reports and 
developing effective responses.  Despite entering Lee's camp 
in August, 2007, Lee secured a top spot in the transition. 
Pundits speculated that Lee hoped to run for a National 
Assembly seat in April, but now that he has taken a key role 
in the transition, most expect him to instead take a 
prominent position in the Blue House. 
 
-------------------------- 
Chief of Staff Lim Tae-hee 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Lim Tae-hee (51) is from Gyeonggi Province and has 
a bachelor's degree in business management from Seoul 
National University.  After a career as an economic 
specialist he turned to politics and has been a member of the 
National Assembly since 2000.  He has served as GNP spokesman 
and Senior Deputy Floor Leader and was also head of the GNP 
think tank, Yoido Institute.  Well regarded by lawmakers in 
the GNP and the UNDP, Lim remained neutral during the party 
primaries, but became one of Lee Myung-bak's confidants 
during the final months of the campaign. 
 
-------- 
The Team 
-------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The other confirmed transition team leaders are as 
follows: 
 
-- Administrative Chief: Baek Sung-woon, former Vice Gyeonggi 
Province Governor, 
-- Policy Ombudsman Center Chief: Lee Sang-mok, NGO activist, 
-- Planning & Coordination Subcommittee: Maeng Hyung-kyu, a 
third-term lawmaker is chief, supported by Lee Myung-bak 
confidant and Korea University professor Kwak Seung-joon, 
-- Political Subcommittee: Jin Soo-hee, NA member, 
-- Foreign Affairs, Unification & National Security 
Subcommittee: Park Jin, NA member who notably beat out close 
Lee Myung-bak advisor Hyun In-taek for the top spot, 
-- Judiciary & Administrative Subcommittee: Chung Dong-ki, 
former Vice Justice Minister, 
-- Economy (1) Subcommittee: Kang Man-soo, former Vice 
Finance Minister, 
-- Economy (2) Subcommittee: Choi Kyung-hwan, NA member, 
-- Social, Educational & Cultural Subcommittee: Lee Joo-ho, 
NA member. 
 
The president-elect also named members of his Special 
Committee on National Competitiveness: 
 
-- Co-chairs: Sagong Il, former Finance Minister and David 
Eldon, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority 
Chairman and the first foreigner to be appointed to a 
transition team, 
-- Co-Vice Chairs: Kim Hyung-o, NA member and Yoon Jin-sik, 
former Commerce, Industry & Energy Minister, 
-- To head up the task forces are Representative Park 
Jae-wan; Yoon Jin-sik; Gyeongbuk University professor Huh 
Jeung-soo; former North Jeolla Governor Kang Hyun-wook; and 
Seoul National University Professor Min Dong-pil. 
 
Still to be announced are members of the inauguration 
preparation committee and the president-elect's secretariat, 
though rumor has it some of those positions have already been 
decided. 
 
------------------ 
Somang Church Ties 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Lee Myung-bak's decision to appoint Lee Kyung-sook 
Chairperson of his transition team has raised speculation 
that Lee Myung-bak, who is praised for de-emphasizing school 
ties and political cronyism, might rely on church ties in 
political appointments.  Indeed, a number of Lee's advisors 
also attend Somang Presbyterian Church, where Lee is an 
elder, including key transition figures Lee Kyung-sook, Kwak 
Seung-joon, and Kang Man-soo.  Although Lee does seem to use 
church as another means of networking, the church boasts a 
congregation of 70,000, and is frequented by approximately 60 
former and incumbent ministers, 10 university presidents, and 
150 popular entertainers. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Lee has set out many ambitious goals for his 
tenure, among them reforming government, building a 
cross-country canal, improving ties with the U.S. and Japan 
and boosting the country's economy.  His transition team will 
attempt to set out a blueprint that he can follow once he 
takes office.  The day after Lee was inaugurated as Seoul 
Mayor in 2006, he went to Cheonggye Stream and kicked off the 
project to restore the paved-over downtown stream.  Many 
expect "the bulldozer" to do the same as president. Still, it 
remains to be seen how much he can accomplish this spring 
with the National Assembly stacked against him and National 
Assembly elections scheduled for April. 
YUN