Prime Minister, Ministers, and Blue House Aides Replaced Simultaneously... Policy Stance on Real Estate Maintained

Kim Boo-kyum, Former Minister, Likely Successor to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun... Moon Seung-wook Effectively Appointed as Minister of Industry

[Asia Economy Reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Kwon Hae-young] President Moon Jae-in is set to announce a personnel reshuffle plan that reflects public sentiment revealed in the April 7 by-elections while maintaining the overall framework of national policies, including real estate policy.

On the afternoon of the 16th, President Moon is expected to carry out a personnel reshuffle replacing the Prime Minister, about five ministers, and senior Blue House aides. The leading candidate for the new Prime Minister is Kim Boo-kyum, a former Minister of the Interior and Safety and a former member of the National Assembly from Daegu.

President Moon’s decision to unveil a full-scale overhaul is a strategic move to quell the public discontent exposed in the by-elections. This is also related to why Kim, a politician from Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK), has emerged as the leading candidate for Prime Minister. Kim, who can communicate with opposition figures, is a card that can simultaneously convey messages of unity and reform. Appointing a Prime Minister from Yeongnam ahead of the presidential election itself carries a meaning of regional harmony.

The view of the Blue House from Namsan, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, who is expected to serve as acting Prime Minister until the new Prime Minister passes the parliamentary confirmation hearing, is reportedly excluded from this reshuffle. For the successor to Minister Byeon Chang-heum of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, bureaucrats such as Yoon Sung-won, the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, have emerged as strong candidates. This reflects an intention to maintain continuity in real estate policy while ensuring stable organizational management.

Amid reports that the scope of the Blue House reshuffle will be broader than expected, attention is also focused on the possible appointment of Lee Cheol-hee, a former Democratic Party lawmaker, as the successor to Chief Secretary for Political Affairs Choi Jae-sung. If Lee, who did not hesitate to offer candid criticism to the ruling party during his time as a Democratic Party lawmaker, is appointed as Chief Secretary for Political Affairs, it could be interpreted as a signal of change away from personnel centered on the so-called ‘pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in)’ faction.

This reshuffle is expected to include the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Moon Seung-wook, Deputy Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, has been virtually nominated as the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, one of the key economic ministries. Born in 1965 in Seoul, Moon graduated from Seongdong High School and Yonsei University with a degree in economics and entered public service through the 33rd Administrative Examination. He has served as Deputy Governor for Economic Affairs of Gyeongnam Province and Director of the Industrial Innovation Growth Office at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.