Presidential Office Replaces Diplomatic Secretary Ahead of US State Visit

Presidential Office "Personnel Changes Due to Civil Servant Rotation"

It was confirmed on the 27th that Lee Moon-hee, the National Security Office's Diplomatic Secretary, was recently replaced.

It is unusual for a diplomatic secretary, a key figure in the diplomatic line, to be replaced ahead of important summit diplomacy such as President Yoon Seok-yeol's state visit to the United States in April and the G7 Summit in May.

Previously, following the voluntary resignation of Kim Il-beom, the Presidential Office Protocol Secretary, ahead of President Yoon's visit to Japan, the diplomatic secretary was also replaced.

Lee accompanied President Yoon on his visit to Japan on the 16th and attended the expanded Korea-Japan summit, so the sudden replacement has sparked speculation about a dismissal.

Lee, who served as the inaugural diplomatic secretary under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, passed the 30th Foreign Service Examination and previously served as a ministerial policy advisor and head of the North Korean nuclear diplomacy planning team during the Moon Jae-in administration, handling North Korean nuclear diplomacy.

A presidential office official stated, "In Lee's case, he is a government official. This personnel change is due to the rotation of civil servants."

Imunhee, Foreign Affairs Secretary Photo by Presidential Office

However, the presidential office views that since the Diplomatic Secretary's Office is responsible for policy, the impact on President Yoon's diplomatic schedule is not significant.

Lee's successor is reportedly Lee Chung-myeon, Director of the Diplomatic Security Division at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. Director Lee, who passed the 26th Foreign Service Examination, is considered an expert on the United States, having served as head of the North America Division 1, North America Bureau counselor, and head of the Peace Diplomacy Planning Team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.