Let's start with the shake-up to the top level of South Korean politics.
President Moon Jae-in conducted his first major Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday,... some 15 months after he took office.
He nominated five new ministers.
Gone are the now-former ministers of defense, education and labor ministers.
Several new vice-level ministers were also selected by the president.
Cha Sang-mi reports.
President Moon on Thursday nominated replacements for five of his Cabinet ministers -- namely, those for defense, trade, labor, education and gender equality -- in the administration's first reshuffle since the President took office last year.
""Two key phrases to describe the Cabinet reshuffle -- one is 'turning over a new leaf.' and the other is 'feeling.' By that I mean... turning over a new leaf as the administration gets a fresh start with the second Cabinet,... and feeling, as in trying to help the people feel the reforms achieved by the first Cabinet."
The President named General Jeong Kyeong-doo , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to replace the embattled defense minister Song Young-moo,... who's stuck in a difficult situation over the mishandling of controversial information regarding the defense intelligence unit.
If appointed,... he would become the first Air Force general to head the defense ministry in over two decades.
And he would be the second defense minister in a row not to have come from the Army.
Tasked with handling the country's jobs crisis,... Lee Jae-kap has been nominated for labor minister. He served previously as vice minister for labor in 2012.
For trade minister, the President tapped Sung Yun-mo , the head of the Korea Intellectual Property Office.
He also named ruling party lawmaker Yoo Eun-hae for minister of education.
The current minister had been slammed for causing confusion in the process of revising the country's college entrance procedures.
And another ruling party lawmaker for the post of gender equality minister,... Jin Sun-mee .
All the president's Cabinet picks will have to undergo parliamentary confirmation hearings - although their appointments do not require parliamentary approval.
The top office also tapped former presidential inspector and lawyer Lee Seok-soo to head the National Intelligence Service's planning and coordination office.
The Blue House has also named three other ministerial posts as subject to the reshuffle,... hinting that part two will be announced in a week or two.
Cha Sang-mi, Arirang News.
