President Moon Approves Jeong Sye-kyun's Appointment... Begins Term as 'Moon Administration's Second Prime Minister'

Prime Minister nominee Jeong Sye-kyun is smiling after his nomination for Prime Minister was approved at the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 13th. He is posing for a commemorative photo with fellow lawmakers in front of the meeting hall.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in approved the appointment of Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on the 14th.

Go Min-jung, the Blue House spokesperson, announced to reporters via text message around noon that day, "President Moon has just approved the appointment of Prime Minister Chung."

It appears that President Moon approved the appointment immediately after finishing the New Year's press conference held from 10 a.m. that day. With this, the new Prime Minister Chung officially begins his term starting at midnight on the same day.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who was appointed in May 2017 and served for about 2 years and 8 months, leaving the record as the longest-serving prime minister in history, has stepped down. Former Prime Minister Lee will return to his party and run in the National Assembly general election scheduled for April.