Ko Min-jung named new presidential spokesperson

SEOUL, April 25 (Yonhap) -- The presidential office on Thursday appointed its deputy spokesperson, Ko Min-jung, as its new spokesperson to fill a post that had been vacant for a month. Promoting Ko to the Cheong Wa Dae position, President Moon Jae-in was quoted as telling her that, "I think (you are) a person who knows my thought better than anyone." Koh also told reporters that she feels a sense of heavy responsibility for her role in making public the president's philosophy on state affairs and related accomplishments. "As spokesperson, I think, it's important to accurately read the president's thought and convey it (to the people) with accuracy," she said. Ko was a well-known TV anchor before joining Moon's campaign team. Since his inauguration on May 10, 2017, Ko had worked as his deputy spokesperson. In a statement, Yoon Do-han, senior presidential secretary for public relations, also described Ko as "one of the presidential staff members who understands the philosophy of the Moon Jae-in government in handling state affairs best." Ko is assessed to have done her job "excellently and faithfully" as deputy spokesperson, Yoon added. She was promoted to the grade of presidential secretary in January. She is the third Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson in the Moon Jae-in administration. She's Moon's first female spokesperson. Born in 1979, Ko majored in Chinese language and literature at Kyung Hee University in Seoul and joined KBS, a Seoul-based public broadcaster, in 2004. She succeeded Kim Eui-kyeom, who quit abruptly in late March amid a real estate investment controversy. lcd@yna.co.kr (END)