Chun Byong-keuk is the Vice-Minister in charge of cultural and tourism affairs in the Ministry while Jang will look after the sports-related matters under Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon.

Olympic shooter Park Jong-gil and swimmer Choi Yun-hui are the elite athletes to hold the post in South Korea.

"Sports and public communication are the two pillars of the Culture Ministry," a ranking official at the Presidential office was quoted as saying by The Korea Herald.

"The current culture minister (Park Bo-gyoon) is a former journalist, so we sought someone out from the sports sector in hopes of bringing a breath of fresh air to the ministry," the official added.

This is the first major shake-up in the Cabinet since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May 2022 with general elections scheduled for next year.

Jang, who became the first South Korean female weightlifter to win Olympic gold medal in 2008, has been a professor of physical education at Yong In University since 2016.

The 39-year-old Jang won silver at Athens 2004 and also has a bronze medal from London 2012.

She competed in the +75 kilograms category four world titles to her name and bronze medal from the World Championships in Antalya in 2010.

She completed her bachelor's degree in physical education at Korea University in 2010 and got her master's in the same subject from Sungshin Women's University.

She ran for a spot at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission in 2015 but lost to 2004 Olympic table tennis champion and compatriot Ryu Seung-min for the South Korea candidature.