S.Korean president reshuffles cabinet

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun nominated new ministers in charge of foreign affairs, defense, unification and intelligence on Wednesday to reshuffle his cabinet, the South Korea's Presidential Office said.

Song Min-soon, who has served as Roh's chief security advisor for about 10 months, was named as new foreign minister to replace the outgoing Ban Ki-moon, the Presidential Office said.

Ban was elected as the next United Nations Secretary-General and will take office next year.

Song is a veteran diplomat with more than 30 years of service in South Korean Foreign Ministry.

He used to be South Korea's chief delegate for the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula before working as the president's top security advisor. He played a key role in producing the Sept. 19 joint statement during the fourth round of the six-party talks in Beijing last year, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

The president also nominated Lee Jae-joung, former lawmaker of the ruling Uri Party, as unification minister and Army Chief of Staff Kim Jang-soo as new defense minister, the Presidential Office announced.

Kim Man-bok, first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, was promoted to the director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Presidential Office said.

Source: Xinhua