By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
South Korean President Park Geun-hye named seven new ministers to her cabinet Friday, a day after she replaced four senior secretaries following intense public criticism of the government's handling of the Sewol ferry sinking.
Presidential spokesperson Min Kyung-wook announced the changes, which include replacing Hyun Oh-seok -- who has been serving as both a deputy prime minister and finance minister.
Ruling party lawmaker Choi Kyoung-hwan has been named as Hyun's replacement, having previously been South Korea's commerce minister.
Amid public safety concerns, and given the student casualties among the 300 assumed dead in the April 16 Sewol disaster, other changes include new ministers of security and public administration, gender equality and family, and education -- the latter will also take on a deputy prime ministerial role in charge of educational, social and cultural affairs.
In local elections earlier this month, 13 of 17 regional education chief berths went to opposition candidates -- seen as a blow to the Park administration.
Spokesperson Min said there will be no change to the oceans and fisheries minister yet -- which had come under particularly strong criticism -- insisting it "is not desirable for family members of the victims as it could create a period of vacuum."
It has been a busy period for President Park, who is set to leave for a visit to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan next week.
The post-Sewol search goes on with 12 people still unaccounted for.
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