President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol has appointed two veteran politicians to lead his special transition committee panels on national unity and balanced regional development.

Yoon announced on Monday that Kim Han-gil, a former ruling Democratic Party(DP) leader, will head the national unity committee. Kim Byong-joon, the former interim chief of the Liberty Korea Party that preceded the main opposition People Power Party, will lead the balanced development panel.

There are expectations that the former DP leader will achieve national unity that brings together different generations and social classes, while the ex-interim chief is expected to set the big picture for balanced regional development based on his experience and expertise.

Both long-time politicians were involved in Yoon's campaign, having served under previous liberal administrations of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, respectively.

The latest appointments come after Yoon named minor opposition People's Party chief Ahn Cheol-soo, with whom he had merged candidacies ahead of last Wednesday's presidential election, as the chairperson of the transition team.