Cabinet Reshuffle Reflecting 'Real Estate Public Sentiment'... Kim Hyun-mi Replaced as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Comprehensive)

President Moon's Cabinet Reshuffle Involving 4 Ministries, Only Politician Jeon Hae-cheol Appointed... Cheong "By-Election Personnel Demand Exists," Suggests Additional Reshuffle

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] The most notable feature of the cabinet reshuffle carried out by President Moon Jae-in on the 4th is the replacement of Kim Hyun-mi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Kim was a trusted figure who served as Chief of Staff when Moon was the party leader, but was included in this reshuffle. The general assessment is that the chilly public sentiment surrounding real estate policies has become a political burden for the Blue House and the ruling party, leading to the ministerial replacement.

The reshuffle announced by Jeong Man-ho, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, at the Press Center on the 4th includes ministerial changes in four ministries, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family were added to the list of ministries with ministerial replacements. Inside and outside the Blue House, the dominant view was that the reshuffle was only a matter of time, given that the National Assembly had completed the passage of the new year’s budget bill.

There were predictions that three to four ministries would be involved, but it is notable that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety was included instead of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, which was initially mentioned as a target for reshuffle. Considering the likelihood of passing the parliamentary confirmation hearings and policy execution capability, there was speculation that politicians would be favored, but the only appointment was Jeon Hae-cheol, a pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in faction) figure, as Minister of the Interior and Safety.

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi is attending the 'Real Estate Inspection Ministers' Meeting' held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Kwon Deok-cheol, the nominee for Minister of Health and Welfare, is a former bureaucrat from the ministry, while Byeon Chang-heum, nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Jeong Young-ae, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, are experts in their respective fields. Choo Mi-ae, the Minister of Justice who attracted attention, is set to remain for now. However, there remains a possibility that the Ministry of Justice will be included in additional Blue House personnel changes. The Blue House stated that there is "a need for personnel changes" related to the Seoul mayoral by-election, implying that further reshuffles are expected.

The Blue House stated that this reshuffle is not a dismissal or disciplinary action, but the inclusion of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is noteworthy. Jeong Man-ho said, "Byeon Chang-heum, the nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is a scholar and an authority in urban planning and housing. He is evaluated as having both theory and practical experience, having been responsible for housing supply, new town construction, and urban regeneration New Deal projects at the Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation and Korea Land and Housing Corporation."

Furthermore, Jeong Man-ho added, "With a high understanding of the field and policy expertise, he will communicate with the field and diagnose the public housing problem more accurately. We expect him to review the effects of existing policies, accelerate the supply of quality housing, and create practical housing policies to realize the public’s desire for stable housing for ordinary citizens and balanced national development."

Jeon Hae-cheol, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who has been nominated as the new Minister of the Interior and Safety, is entering the National Assembly main building on the 4th after the cabinet reshuffle announcement. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

A key Blue House official explained, "(Minister Kim Hyun-mi) is not being dismissed. She achieved many results, but there are greater demands and a need for more field-oriented housing supply and construction, so this is a proactive personnel move to push for more tangible policies." Expectations are that nominee Byeon Chang-heum will leverage his field experience to lead real estate policies.

Jeon Hae-cheol became the first among the so-called 'Three Cheols' to be appointed to the cabinet. Jeong Man-ho said, "Jeon Hae-cheol, nominee for Minister of the Interior and Safety, is a lawyer-turned three-term lawmaker who has worked on power agency reform, past history investigations, and judicial reform in the National Assembly. He is recognized for contributions to local autonomy development, including the Local Government Act and local tax amendment bills, as well as fiscal decentralization and regional balanced development."

Jeong Man-ho added, "Based on his breakthrough ability and leadership, he is expected to successfully carry out national tasks such as strengthening disaster management systems, realizing practical decentralization, and government innovation, and especially to lead balanced development between central and local governments through the regional balanced New Deal."

For the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Kim Yeon-myeong, a professor who served as Senior Secretary for Social Affairs at the Blue House, was a strong candidate, but the choice was finalized as Kwon Deok-cheol, director of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and a traditional bureaucrat from the ministry. Jeong Man-ho evaluated, "Kwon Deok-cheol has held key positions at the Ministry of Health and Welfare and served as the first Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare under the Moon Jae-in administration, making him an administrative expert."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jeong Man-ho said, "He is recognized for contributing to laying the foundation of health and welfare policies. Through his long policy experience and strong yet gentle leadership, he will proactively respond to COVID-19 and protect public health and daily life safely. We expect him to successfully carry out urgent core tasks such as strengthening medical publicness, protecting vulnerable groups, and expanding social safety nets across the life cycle."

For the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, although names of Democratic Party lawmakers were mentioned, the decision was to appoint an expert in the relevant field. Jeong Man-ho said, "Jeong Young-ae, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is a women’s studies expert who holds the distinction of being the first Ph.D. in women’s studies in Korea."

Jeong Man-ho added, "Based on her expertise in women’s studies and rich policy experience, she will actively address current issues such as responding to sexual violence and strengthening victim support measures. We expect her to responsibly promote core policies including realizing a gender-equal society, creating a family-friendly social environment, and protecting children and adolescents."