SEOUL, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun formally appointed his chief security secretary as the foreign minister Friday despite opposition protests.
Song Min-soon has been accused of taking anti-American positions, raising concerns that he may not be suitable to the top diplomatic post.
After the parliamentary confirmation hearing in late November, the main opposition Grand National Party urged Roh to seek another candidate, saying Son has displayed bias against the United States and an excessively favorable stance toward North Korea.
But parliamentary approval is not mandatory for the president's appointment of a cabinet minister. Song replaces Ban Ki-moon, who will take over as U.N. secretary-general next month.
In his inaugural speech, Song cited the North Korea nuclear threat as South Korea's biggest diplomatic challenge and vowed to make maximal efforts to resume the long-stalled six-nation talks on ending the nuclear crisis.
But he said the next round of the six-party talks may not be held within this month. "North Korea may require more time for its in-depth analysis of the situation," he said.
In a bid to address concerns about his stance toward the United States, Song stressed the alliance between Seoul and Washington as the main pillar of Seoul's external relations. "It will exist like that in the future as well," he said.
